Living in the World of the Living
by VeiledElegance
Summary: The exploits of Haruka and Grimmjow adjusting to life in the World of the Living. These are short fillers that take place after Sands of Vengeance. They are heavily tied to the events that occurred in The Futile Repent and Sands of Vengeance. *GrimmjowxOC* Rated M for strong language, some violence, and fluff (possible smut).
1. A Gift

_/* Hey all! So I've decided to attempt to write some short fillers for the time in between Sands of Vengeance and the new story I'm working on. Not really sure if I can call them one shots as they are heavily tied to the fics already written. That said, you may be lost if you are diving into these without first reading The Futile Repent and Sands of Vengeance. Also, I want to note that up until now I've tried to stay as close to the cannon as possible, but here I start to derail that train so if you hate changes to the original cannon, you may hate this. These are rated M to be safe as there is strong language, some violence, and fluff. Not sure if I will be going full lemon yet with any of these, but if I do I will have a warning prior. Thank you to all who follow my writing and take the time to read and/or review. I greatly appreciate it. And as always, thanks for reading and hope you enjoy. */_

* * *

A Gift -

"So you think something is up?" The annoying red head asked way too loudly.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" The grumbling blue-haired beast snapped.

"Well, I'm just saying, we're here sitting in some obscured seating watching your girlfriend have lunch with some guy. Nothing weird about that." He replied while nonchalantly leaning back in his chair, pressing his palms to the back of his head.

"You offered lunch, asshole."

"True, but you picked the place."

"This ain't about her or her friends."

"Uh huh." He smirked in his typical infuriating fashion when he felt he was right.

"Listen, Kurosaki, if you don't want to lose your damn head-"

"Grimmjow… You gotta trust her, man. If you smother her, you're going to lose her." Ichigo said as he slumped forward in his seat, his face growing sympathetic.

"This was a mistake." Grimmjow growled as he pushed himself to a stand.

"Wait, she's going to see you." Ichigo grabbed his arm and tugged him down just as Haruka lifted her gaze. She was glancing around briefly after laughing at whatever the man across from her had just said. When her eyes finally settled on her companion again, he spoke. "I think it would be a good idea for us to go, but only if you really want to."

Grimmjow twisted his head briefly, his eyes set on the woman that had very well consumed him. "Yea. Let's go."

Ichigo nodded once before getting to a stand, leading the way discreetly.

"So what's up? Why are you so obsessed with this guy, Koji?" He asked once they were far enough away.

"Don't worry about it." He spat, obviously annoyed.

"You know it's good for her to have friends, right? Just like you should probably find other people to hang out with too." Ichigo suggested.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"I'm just saying. Every time she talks about you, she defends you no matter how much of an idiot you're being. She cares a lot about you. So why are you so worried?" He continued to prod.

Grimmjow whipped himself around, grabbing Ichigo by the collar of his shirt. "It ain't your business, Kurosaki, so fucking can it."

Ichigo lifted his hands defensively. "I'm just saying. You don't seem to have a problem with me hanging out with her so what's with this guy?"

"You're a damn goody-two-shoe. That and you don't have the balls to move on what is mine."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "I got a better idea on how we can spend our time."

"I ain't spending any more time with you."

"Come on, Grimmjow."

Despite his hesitations, Grimmjow relented and followed Ichigo. "Where the fuck are we going?" he groveled.

"To get your girlfriend a gift."

"What?"

"Come on, there's got to be something she'd like. Get her a gift, make yourself a bit more likeable." He chuckled.

"Fuck you."

The first store they meandered into was filled with glass cases lining the walls. Within the cases were endless decorative metallics. "What the hell is all this?" Grimmjow asked, annoyed.

"Jewelry. Girls love jewelry." Ichigo rationalized.

"I ain't ever seen her wear anything like this." Grimmjow mused, his confusion growing. There were a variety of different items, everything from long chains to decorative small rings. His eyes caught on the rings with large glimmering gems. "What about something like that?"

"No, no, no." Ichigo immediately intervened as he saw the rings Grimmjow was looking at. "No, those are for… special circumstances."

"Like what?" His brow furrowed.

"Like human traditions." Ichigo mentioned and Grimmjow's nose immediately wrinkled in disgust.

"Human traditions…"

"Let's find something else." Ichigo intervened before leaving the store, the grumpy Arrancar close behind.

* * *

It took hours of searching before Grimmjow had finally agreed on something. He purchased the item and then travelled back to the apartment to wait for his Shinigami. He found it hard to focus on anything other than the gift he had set on the counter casually.

When he finally heard the keys rattle at the door, a real sense of apprehension had fallen over him.

"Grimmjow, I'm home!" She announced as she always did as she slid her shoes off and let her keys clang in the bowl by the door.

"Kitten." He purred as she came into sight. Her lips pulled up into a warm smile upon seeing him, moving up to press her lips against his.

"Did you have a good day?" She asked as she moved into the kitchen, ready to prepare dinner.

"Yea. You?" He asked as he sat at the counter, watching each muscle move, studying each curve.

"Yea. I had lunch with Koji today." She said with ease.

Grimmjow's eyes lifted to meet her gaze. She was waiting to see how he'd respond. Ever since she had told him, he was skeptical. But when he saw how it affected her, he knew something was off. And they couldn't just ignore it. "And did you find anything out?"

She shook her head. "No, nothing. I mean, his personality seems to fit Kenji, but he seems as human as could be."

"Maybe it's just a coincidence, Kitten." He suggested.

"Maybe…" She responded, her voice doubtful.

"Hey, I- uh- I got ya something." He remarked uncaring. She turned, looking at him curiously and shocked.

"You… got me something?"

"Yea, what? Is it so hard to believe?" He grumbled as he slid the box across the counter and towards her.

She picked up the small box, feeling its weight in her palms. Then, slowly, she lifted the lid and pulled a medium sized glass candle from the box. "It's a candle?" Her brow scrunched slightly in confusion.

"Yea well-" Grimmjow began almost nervously. He was cut off as she lifted the candle to her nose and sniffed its scent.

"It smells like the forest." She smiled as she placed the candle on the counter and dug around for a lighter. "Like our first walk in the woods together." She remarked thoughtfully.

Grimmjow settled, his nervousness leaving him. "Yea. I thought so too."

Her smile widened at his response as she lit the wick of the forest green candle. "Thank you, Grimmjow. This means a lot."

He nodded once before snorting to himself indignantly.

"What?" Haruka questioned.

"Nothing. It's just Kurosaki said it was a stupid idea." Grimmjow replied.

Haruka's brow lifted. "You were with Ichigo?"

Grimmjow's eyes widened. _Shit!_ How could he be so careless? "Yea well I saw him at Clogs' place and we decided to hang out." Even he cringed as he heard the words leave his mouth.

"You decided to hang out?" Haruka asked incredulously. "You were following me, weren't you?"

"What, no! Why the fuck would I waste my time doing that?" He attempted, but she wasn't buying it.

"You're a terrible liar." Her arms crossed and smile deteriorated.

"Kitten, it wasn't what you're thinking…"

"If you have a problem with me hanging out with Koji then you should discuss it with me, not follow me around like some private investigator." She scolded.

"I don't have a problem with it." He returned, his temper flaring.

"So is that why you got me the gift? To make you feel less guilty about stalking me?" She continued.

His brow twitched. Sometimes she never knew when to just stop. "I have a right to know where _my_ mate is going." He growled.

"Or you could just trust _your_ mate instead of following me around like some cheating whore."

"Damnit, Haruka!" He roared. "You're mine and it'll be over my dead body before that piece of shit takes you from me."

She frowned. "First of all, he's not a piece of shit. You don't even know him so I'd appreciate it if you didn't judge him from you creepy stalker corner. Second, do you really think that I would sacrifice what we have? Do you really think I'd give all that up? I'm finally, _finally_, happy with how things are in my life. Why would I give that up?"

"You would for Kenji." He muttered. And there it was. His ultimate insecurity.

"No, I wouldn't." She soothed. His eyes lifted, looking almost shocked as he caught her determined gaze. "Even if that was Kenji, I wouldn't leave you. The Kenji I knew is dead. He will always be dead. Nothing is ever going to bring him back. And that's how it should be."

Grimmjow averted his gaze, annoyed at himself for being so insecure. But really, it shouldn't surprise him. It was on a daily basis he fantasized about ripping the heads off of any male that came within inches of her. Why should this Koji be any different in his eyes?

Haruka moved around the counter to stand in front of him. "Why do you pursue him?" He asked outright.

"You know why." She responded while wrapping her arms around his neck, her hands sliding into his hair to massage his scalp and drag a soft purr from him.

"You really think someone fucked with his soul?" He asked, skeptical as always.

"I don't know for sure, but something definitely isn't right with this whole situation. And I want to get to the bottom of it." She returned as she brushed a soft kiss to his forehead.

"Just don't do anything stupid without me."

"I wouldn't dream of it."


	2. Furry

Furry -

"You did what!?" Haruka's shout echoed through the entire shop.

"It is what you asked." Urahara replied slyly.

"I asked that you find them better living conditions instead of a round sweet candy." Haruka huffed. "What if we need to leave our gigais?"

"They are easily extractable." Urahara explained as he picked up the fluffy stuffed creature.

"Hey, what are you-mffm-" The little white stuffed dog with long puffy fur struggled as Urahara pressed his fingers into its mouth. A moment later, he was pulling the tiny round morsel free.

"See, simple." He stated before pushing it back in.

"Why you! If I had real claws I'd scratch your eyes out!" The toy dog rambled as it attempted to climb up Urahara's arm.

"Mimi…" Haruka warned, causing the dog to stop.

"B-but Lady-sama…"

"And what about Crey?" She asked Urahara, effectively ignoring Mimi.

"I'm purr-fectly happy with this arrangement, Akiyama-sama." The voice of Crey revealed to be an adorable stuffed cat, leisurely strolling out from behind Urahara.

"You would be, you freak of nature." Mimi accused.

"You're just jealous that you didn't get to be the cat." He returned.

"Furry." She grumbled.

Crey grimaced, "what are you suggesting, _dog_?"

"Oh nothing… just that you get off on being a furry animal." Mimi barked.

"I feel the need to point out that you are furrier than I am." Crey remarked.

Mimi rolled her eyes, "idiot."

"Enough, you two." Haruka snapped. "Come on. We're going home."

"Yay!" The two said in unison as they jumped onto Haruka.

"Remember you are supposed to be stuffed animals. Don't act stupid." She warned.

"Yes, Lady-sama!"

"Yes, Akiyama-sama!"

"Grimmjow's going to have a field day with this…"

"Sayonara, Akiyama-san!" Urahara yelled from the front door of the shop as his patron left for her car.

* * *

"What the fuck is this?" Grimmjow asked, unimpressed as he held the little stuffed dog by the neck as it kicked violently.

"Put me down you big oaf!" Mimi shouted as she struggled in his hold. Crey leisurely walked around Grimmjow's feet, snuggling against his ankles as if he was an actual cat.

"I know…" Haruka sighed. "It's what I get for asking."

"So… we have to live with these things now?" He asked before tossing Mimi towards the couch.

Again Haruka sighed, "I guess." The two paused, watching their mod souls. Mimi was running around in circles on the couch, attempting to bite and scratch at the pillows unsuccessfully with her fake claws and teeth. Crey, on the other hand, had leaped onto the counter and started pushing things to the floor.

"Crey! Stop it!" Haruka shouted as she rushed over and picked him up. "Mimi! No! Bad dog!"

Grimmjow's eye twitched. "I'm going to bed." He announced before moving towards the bedroom.

"You're leaving me alone with them!?" Haruka screeched.

He shrugged. "That's your choice."

Haruka growled under her breath. "If I leave them alone, they are going to destroy the place."

Grimmjow stopped, a small smirk upturning his lips. "Or…"

"Hey! Hey you can't leave us in here like this! Lady-sama! Mister-sama!" Mimi shouted as Haruka shut the bedroom door, leaving her and Crey locked together in the animal crate. "Don't they know not to leave cats and dogs in the same crate…"

"Don't touch me." Crey snapped as he snuggled in the corner.

"I hate you."

* * *

_/* Here are just a couple to start. I have several more finished, but just want to make sure I don't mess up the timeline horribly and confuse everyone. More to come in the near future! */_


	3. Missing You

_/* Thank you all for the reviews! I will continue to write these as long as I can keep the ideas flowing (and I will do my best to incorporate your requests into future story segments). I'm still working on the third short story of the Haruka/Grimmjow fic and won't have updates anytime soon unfortunately. For now, I hope you continue to enjoy these little segments. This segment has a little bit of fluff just fyi. Enjoy! */_

* * *

Missing You

"Seriously? You can't tell me any details?" Haruka crossed her arms angrily as she stood in the center of the small shop.

"It is best if you are left out of this, Akiyama-san." Urahara attempted.

"It's just for a couple days, Ruka. You'll be fine." Grimmjow interjected.

"It's not me I'm worried about." She glared at the two. "At least tell me where you are taking him, Urahara-san."

"My apologies." Urahara bowed to Haruka, attempting to plead with her.

"You're both assholes!" She grabbed Urahara's fan from his pocket and smacked his bowed head with it.

"Ow, ow, ow." Urahara cried.

"Ruka!" Grimmjow followed as she stormed out of the shop. He grasped her forearm and twisted her around, only then seeing the glassiness in her eyes. "Kitten, come on."

"Last time you left, you didn't come back." She argued. "I just- I don't want to lose you again."

He sighed, looking around as if to find the right response. "I'll be fine. I promise; it's nothing dangerous. I'm staying in the World of the Living."

She went silent, her eyes still set in a glare. "Alright." She nodded. "But I swear, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez if you are not back in two days…"

"Yea, I know." He smirked.

"Be careful." She muttered, her mood going dark.

"You got nothing to worry about." He reassured, closing in on her and brushing the back of his hand against her cheek.

"Says you." She grumbled. He leaned down and pressed soft lips to her forehead.

"I'll see you in a couple of days." He soothed. "I love you."

She glanced up. Rarely did she get to hear those words and it was usually just to placate her, but it sounded very convincing paired with the softness in his eyes.

"I love you too." She responded before pressing her lips to his with one last goodbye.

"Come on, Grimmjow-san. We have a lot of work ahead of us." Urahara interrupted.

"Yea, I'm coming." Grimmjow replied uncaring. He pressed his palm to her cheek briefly and then turned to follow the shopkeeper to his shady vehicle.

"See you soon, Akiyama-san!" He called out.

"Stay safe!" She yelled while watching them climb into the van and drive off down the road. A crushing weight fell to her shoulders then, pushing on her and exhausting her. After staring at emptiness for a few minutes more, she got into her car and drove home.

* * *

"_What are you doing tomorrow?" _She typed out the words and hesitated for a moment before hitting send.

She wasn't expecting a quick response, but a mere moment later her notification tone was going off, filling the silence of the apartment. "_No plans. Do you want to hang out?" _Was his response.

"_Yea. What do you want to do?"_

"_Do you want to come by my place? I got this killer new recipe I want to try out on you. As long as your boyfriend doesn't mind of course." _

Haruka smiled, feeling a little less lonely. "_Sounds good. And he's out of town for the next couple of days."_

"_Ok, I'll see you tomorrow."_

"_See you."_

Haruka sighed while dropping the phone to the mattress beneath her. She could feel his reishi on everything. His scent was everywhere. It only increased the crippling isolation she was feeling.

"I have to get him a cellphone." She muttered.

"MEOW! MEOW!" The loud obnoxious noise of her new 'pet' interrupted her thoughts.

"Crey, stop it." She scolded the stuffed cat that was attempting to jump up onto the bed. "You aren't really a cat."

"I have to play the part, Akiyama-sama." He rationalized.

"Then pretend to not be alive because you aren't a real cat. You are a stuffed animal. Stuffed animals are not alive. And they don't meow." She grumbled while rolling over.

"I'm not real!?" He screeched from the floor. "Mimi-chan! Mimi-chan, I have terrible news!" He continued to cry out as he sprinted out of the bedroom and to the crate where Mimi was sleeping.

"Ugh, I should have just locked them both up…"

* * *

"So you seem pretty down today. Anything I can do to help?" Koji's soft tone invaded Haruka's thoughts. She was sitting at his kitchen table, waiting for his new meal he was so excited to make. It would have been something Kenji would have done…

"Sorry, it's just…" She paused, attempting to voice what was bothering her appropriately.

"You miss your boyfriend?" He asked, almost disappointedly.

Haruka blushed, embarrassed that she was so obviously read. "Yea, I do." She whispered as her eyes settled on her hands.

"Does he go away on business often?" He asked as he stirred something in a large pot.

"No. I guess that's why I'm just not used to it. It's been a bit since I've been alone." She admitted outright.

"I get that." He reassured. "It takes a while to get used to the solace. I kind of enjoy it after spending my day with teenagers." He chuckled, attempting to lighten her mood.

She granted him a small smile, one that was short lived. "You don't have anyone else in your life?" She asked.

"Not really. My mom passed away several years ago and my dad drifted away after she died. I don't have any siblings." He admitted.

_Definitely not my Kenji, _Haruka thought in passing. "I'm sorry." She offered.

"Don't be. I got used to it pretty quickly. Besides, the kids at school make up for it. It's almost like having twenty brothers and sisters." He attempted to joke again and once again gaining a small smile in response. "Do you have any other family? I mean, you seem to only ever speak of your boyfriend and your coworkers."

Haruka paused, thinking on the long life she'd had and everyone that had graced her presence. "No, I didn't know my father as he died when I was very young. My mother also died when I was young, so I only have a few memories of her. I don't have any siblings either." She admitted.

"We have something in common then." He remarked with a smile. He went through the motions of completing his meal, plating some rice and cut of fish Haruka was unfamiliar with, but the aroma tickled her nose with a myriad of flavors and she was very much intrigued.

"That smells delicious." She mentioned as he placed her portion in front of her.

"I hope it tastes as good as it smells." Koji said. "Or this will be very embarrassing."

Haruka laughed. The two shared a smile before indulging and it was well worth the wait. "Koji, this is delicious." Haruka praised.

"It is indeed." He agreed. "Thanks for joining me. It's much nicer to have a meal with a friend."

"No, thank you." Haruka replied. "Seriously, Koji, this is much better than spending the night alone."

After the two finished, Haruka got up and began bringing the plates to the sink to wash. "Haruka-chan, I've got the dishes." Koji said in a rush as he moved in.

"Don't be silly, you cooked so I will clean." She replied while wrestling him for the sponge.

"You're the guest." He insisted.

"We've known each other long enough now that I can at least do the dishes." She argued. She pushed him to the side with her hips, laughing. He grasped her wrists and lunged for the sponge, throwing himself off balance and toppling over her. They landed with a thud, Haruka beneath Koji.

Haruka blushed while stuttering. Koji's shocked expression was similar to hers just before he maneuvered off of her and then helped her up. "Uh, sorry." He said sheepishly.

"It's ok." Haruka replied awkwardly. The two glanced at each other, the uneasy silence dragging on. Then finally Haruka grabbed the sponge and started washing the dishes. Koji glanced at her, hiding his disappointment before gathering the dirtied dishes and placing them in the sink for Haruka to wash.

"Well I should probably get going." Haruka mentioned after finishing her task.

"You sure? You can stay for a bit if you want some company." Koji offered.

"Thanks, Koji-kun, but I think it's best if I head home. I have to take care of my pets." There was, at least, a half truth to that.

"Alright. Hey, maybe next time I can come hang out at your place." He said cheerily.

"Yea sure." Haruka pacified him. "I'll talk to you soon. Enjoy the rest of your night."

"Take care. Drive safe, Haruka-chan."

Haruka nodded once before moving towards the door. Koji watched as she walked to her car, got in and drove away.

* * *

The remainder of her time alone dragged on. At least she had to work the following day and it made for a substantial distraction. Eventually her work day ended and she was making her way up those familiar steps. She unlocked the door, pushed it open and dropped the keys in the bowl nearby. She sighed, tired and reminiscent of a very familiar lonely life she was living only recently.

She moved through her night routine, eating the bento box she picked up from the corner store which was something she hadn't done in a long time, and then moved to the shower. Even the steaming hot water couldn't ease the invisible weight that had settled on her shoulders. The anxiety of him not being there was starting to take a toll.

After her shower she crawled under her covers, snuggling into his side of the bed and burying her face into his pillow. She sighed heavily as she found a bit of comfort in his scent. "I miss you." She whispered before sleep finally claimed her…

* * *

It was late. Late enough that the moon was center above, granting a bit of extra light as he climbed out of the van. "Thanks for the assistance, Grimmjow-san." Urahara stated just as Grimmjow was about to close the door.

"Yea, waste of fucking time though." He grumbled.

"Maybe not." Urahara refuted. "It at least indicated a larger problem. I will continue my research and see what I come up with. I would appreciate it if you didn't give too many details to Akiyama-san, though. At least not before we have adequate answers for her."

Grimmjow nodded once, unease settling at having to keep anything from Haruka, but he knew the necessity of it. He knew exactly what she would do if she knew what they knew. "I won't say nothing."

"Good. Enjoy the rest of your night, Grimmjow-san. See you tomorrow."

"Yea." Grimmjow said and then finally closed the van door. He made his way toward the apartment as Urahara drove off into the night. He quietly pressed his keys into the door, opening it and shutting it silently behind him. He didn't waste any time as he carefully snuck past the two annoying mod souls currently crated and headed straight for the bedroom, feeling her pulsing reishi beyond the door.

He paused as his sapphire gaze fell to her slumbering form buried beneath the covers on his side of the bed. His lips twitched automatically into a smirk. That possessive tick in the back of his mind was roaring. In two easy motions his shirt and pants were on the floor. He slid onto the bed like a cat stalking prey, easing himself under the covers next to her and sliding a solid arm around her naked stomach. His chest pressed against her back as his nose nuzzled into her neck and inhaled her scent.

A quiet groan rumbled from the back of her throat as her body shifted in his grasp. "Grimmjow…" She mumbled, still half-asleep.

"Go back to sleep, Kitten." He whispered. "I'll bug ya in the morning."

She sighed as she settled in his hold. He felt as her muscles relaxed, her body instantly recalling the comfort and protection of his reishi. "I missed you." She replied on a sleepy voice, clearly still not even awake.

"Good." He returned, his voice growing just as tired. "I missed you, too."


	4. Braving the Storm

_/* As always, thanks so much for reading and reviewing! Always appreciate hearing your thoughts. That said, I will try writing some of the requests in the near future. For now, I'll post a few that I have finished. This one is short and sweet. Enjoy! */_

* * *

Braving the Storm -

It was late when he wandered up the staircase to their shared apartment. The sun would have been set just at the horizon now if those angry looking storm clouds hadn't already consumed it. The rain was steady, soaking through his cloths and drenching his hair enough that it formed a permanent chill in his spine. It was still a pain to adjust to human life, despite it being a while now. There were a lot of aspects of his old Arrancar life he missed, but they were usually just conveniences like being able to shield himself from the rain. Then again, it never did rain in Hueco Mundo...

When he arrived just outside the door, he inhaled deeply through his nose, excited to smell whatever was for dinner; except there was nothing. His brow furrowed in confusion as he pushed his way inside, seeing the apartment completely empty. "_She should be home by now." _He thought as he glanced around. An anxious knot had formed in the pit of his stomach as he turned to old tricks to find her.

He reached out with pesquisa, feeling for her aura. Remnants of it were all over the apartment, effectively distracting him from finding the source. He followed the ghostly remains, sensing a large amount hovered around the calendar hanging from the wall. He glanced at today's date.

"Fuck." He sputtered as he read in bright red writing "Kenji." He snarled to himself, "idiot; how the fuck could you forget?"

There weren't many days Haruka required him to remember. She would get giddy when he would recall certain events, like the day they first met, but even when he would forget, she would never hold it against him. It was this day, though, where she had made it a point in the past to thank him for being there. And today he wasn't. Today he fucking forgot.

Almost desperately, he searched for her reishi, finding it on the roof. He rushed up the stairs, taking them in twos until he arrived at the top, coming face to face with a somber looking Haruka, drenched from the rain. "Ruka…"

"Welcome home." She attempted to smile around the hoarseness in her voice.

"Why didn't you-" He began but forced himself to stop. He couldn't make her responsible for him forgetting. He couldn't force her to come to him as much as he wished she would.

"I'm ok." She tried, but even under that tiny statement he could hear her voice starting to break.

"Do you want some space?" He never knew the best way to handle her this day. Sometimes she just wanted to be alone to remember him in private. And then other times, she just couldn't bare her own thoughts alone. Today must have been one of those days.

Her face instantly deteriorated into sobs as she shook her head violently. He moved quickly, shielding her in his chest as she sobbed.

"I shouldn't have forgotten." He whispered and she just clung to him harder.

"No, I'm sorry. After years I still blame myself for it all." She said on a quivering voice. "And I do this to you every year."

"Why you worry about me? Like I always say, if I didn't want to be here I wouldn't be." He rationalized.

"You're such a liar." She accused. He grasped her arms and pulled her back enough so he could catch her swollen purple gaze.

"You're allowed to mourn him, Ruka. I ain't that fucking cold hearted." He said. Her eyes attempted to look away in shame, but he forced them back with a simple palm pressed to her cheek. "Figured you'd know me better than that by now."

"You shouldn't have to deal with a woman who cries over a dead man." Her self-loathing was coming through and while most days she was able to overcome that obstacle, it was tough days like this she needed a little help.

"We ain't doing this, Kitten." He replied as he slid his hands to her thighs, lifting her so that her legs could wrap around his waist and he could carry her back down to their apartment. "You can talk shit about yourself all you want, but I ain't fallen for it."

Again that pretty violet stare averted from embarrassment. His lips moved to her ear, nuzzling before whispering, "I'm here for you, Ruka. I always will be."

She sighed before leaning forward, her arms wrapping around his neck and her cheek resting against his shoulder. "I'm a lucky gal." Her voice was tired from her constant sorrow, but was finally starting to sound a bit more uplifted.

"Damn right you are." He teased as he brought her back inside. He gently let her down onto her feet. "Go get changed. I'm gonna make us something to eat. I'm starving."

"And what about you?" She asked as she pulled at his drenched shirt. It dragged heavily back against his skin as soon as she let it go.

"Just go get me a towel." He waved her off haphazardly and she smirked.

As she walked towards their bedroom, he pulled the soaked clothing over his head, revealing his defined musculature. He was combing through the cabinets for his cookware of choice when his Shinigami finally returned. "Dinner and a show?" She teased, her tone attempting to be sultry.

"I figured it would cheer you up." He snickered as she tossed the towel at his head. "Hey!" He caught it just as it hit his face. He quickly ran it through his soaked hair before wrapping it around his shoulders and continuing his cooking.

"You're a good distraction. I'll give you that." Haruka admitted as she moved towards the living room.

"Only the best for you, Kitten." He purred, drawing out a laugh from her. His focus returned on the meal while hers turned to the furniture. She glanced at the large windows with the drawn curtains, revealing the intensifying storm outside. She moved to the TV stand first, pushing it off to the side until she was satisfied. Then she tackled the couch, pushing and shoving until it lined up just the way she wanted it.

"Oi, what the hell are you doing?" He finally asked after watching her bizarre rearrangement of the living room.

"Just wanted a better view." She mentioned before collapsing onto the couch, her eyes set out the window and to the sky where an impressive flash of lightning had just occurred.

Eventually, with his meal preparations complete, he joined her. She took the offered bowl of food before adjusting her legs beneath her, snuggling close to him before taking the first steaming bite. "Thank you." She said sincerely.

He glanced over to her, her appreciation obviously extending beyond the thrown together meal. "Whatever you need." He returned as his fingers gently brushed a few stray hairs from her face. He knew this was temporary. He knew that she would wake up tomorrow and be her usual strong, determined self. He knew that Kenji's death had taken a toll on her and it would forever be a part of her. And maybe one day she'd be able to get through it without the tears. Maybe one day she'd be able to laugh when remembering all the good things. Maybe one day she'd stop beating herself up over how it made him feel. But for now, he would do whatever it was she needed to just get through.


	5. Home Sweet Home

/_*Thank you as always for reading and the reviews! Still getting through posting ones I already wrote (got about three or so more) and then I will try to get to some requests I've seen. Grimmjow is by far my most favorite character to write so I'm glad to see others enjoy his antics as much as I do. Now on to the good stuff! */_

* * *

Home Sweet Home –

"This is perfect." Haruka said with awe as she stared at the small little farm house in the outskirts of Karakura town. It was a little run down, but definitely workable. And it had acres and acres of land around it, starting with several farmable fields and extending into the forests beyond. The nearest home wasn't even visible from here.

"So if you'd like to put in an offer…" The realtor began.

"Yes, cash offer." She replied quickly as her hand ran over the 'for sale' sign.

"Cash? My, I don't get many clients these days with cash offers, but alright. Let's go in and fill out paperwork. Oh and what about your husband? Is he going to be on the deed? Do you want to have him take a look at it first?"

Haruka stumbled as a blush flourished her face. "Oh he's not- I mean- I'm the only one that is going to be on the deed. And he's going to love this place. I already know it…"

* * *

Grimmjow grumbled as he pushed his way through crowds of people. "_Fucking disgusting humans." _He groveled. He was growing weary of dealing with them every day. They didn't have a clue. If they had the slightest inclination of who he was, they wouldn't dare cross him. Instead, he had to swallow his nature and deal with the constant obnoxiousness and rude behavior.

A girl was shoved through the crowd and crashed right into him. He caught her with ease, but the irritation was clear on his face. "Hey asshole, watch where you're going!" He shouted at the man who pushed her.

The girl looked up at him, a bright red blush forming on her cheeks. "I'm so sorry." She stuttered.

Grimmjow eyed her up and down. She was cute enough, with short black hair and bright blue eyes. Her skirt fell to her knees and her short sleeve blouse was open at the top. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't you." He helped her up to a stand, brushing the dirt from her before beginning to move away.

"W-wait!" She called out. "Thank you. Can I know your name?"

Grimmjow glanced at her curiously for a moment. "No." He said simply before he kept moving. "_Fucking humans."_ The girl deflated, the rejection an obvious blow to her.

Eventually he made it back to the apartment, exhausted and irritated. "Welcome home!" Haruka greeted him excitedly from the kitchen.

"Yo." He sighed, dragging himself to the couch and collapsing. He tilted his head back so his eyes could set on the ceiling. Just what the fuck was the point of all this. Day in and day out it was the same ridiculous routine. Get up, find Clogs, work for Clogs, come home, eat, fuck, sleep. He felt like a worthless cog in some machine, just existing for no other reason than for the machine to just turn. He should be the one in charge of the damn machine. The fucking cogs should be trembling at the sight of him.

Just as his anger spiked at his own situation is when he heard that soothing little sound. It wasn't often Haruka sang, but he always enjoyed it when she did. That and it usually meant she was in a good mood. "What's got you so peachy?" He grouched.

She ignored his touchiness, "oh nothing. I just have a surprise for you." She smiled as she pulled out the plates from the cabinet.

"If it ain't you naked on my lap, I don't want it." He replied back.

She, once again, ignored his comment. "I've noticed you've hated it here more than usual, so I pulled some strings and made a small financial arrangement with Urahara…"

"We don't need any more favors from him. You know we owe him our firstborn at this point." Grimmjow grumbled. "Whenever that happens." He mumbled quietly to himself.

"Like you ever pay anyone back what you owe them." She refuted on a laugh.

"Tch…"

"Come eat. We're going tonight." She announced as she set his plate on the table, walking back to prepare hers.

Grimmjow lifted his brow curiously. "Going where?" He asked before sitting at his usual place setting.

Haruka beamed a smile, one he hadn't seen on her in a while. "I told you. It's a surprise." She nearly laughed.

"I don't like surprises." He refuted around a large bite.

Haruka placed her food down at the setting beside him before sliding her palm along his thigh reassuringly. "You'll like this one. I promise."

He grunted in response, not convinced. Haruka's face fell slightly, into one more sympathetic.

"Grimmjow?" She started while playing with her food.

"What?" He grouched again.

"I-" she nervously began, "I know you've been really hating it here and I want to make it up to you."

Grimmjow stopped mid-bite, glancing over to her uncertain face. He placed his sticks down and turned to face her completely. "Kitten… I made a choice to be here with you. Whatever shit I gotta put up with doesn't matter as long as I have you." He watched as a small smile pulled back her lips, though the doubt was still there. He knew she wouldn't fall for it. She was just too damn pushy.

"I just want you to be happy here with me." She clarified as her eyes averted back to her plate.

"I am." He replied.

"It doesn't seem like it…" Now she was pouting. And getting on his damn nerves.

"For fuck's sake, Ruka, what the hell do you want from me?" He shouted and she flinched. "I always tell you, if I didn't want to be here then I wouldn't be. Just knock it off." His fist collided with the table, rattling the dishware and knocking over glasses.

"Except that you're always lying." Haruka snapped as she stood up quickly to clean up the mess of spilled beverages. She underestimated just how fed up he was with this place. "You think I'm blind, but I'm not. I see how annoyed you are when we go out. You're sick of being around humans. You are tired of pretending to be one of them. You are done with fighting the same pointless opponents Urahara pairs you up with. You are not happy here. You don't want to be here anymore. It's written all over your face every day. I know you better than you think."

Grimmjow's jaw clenched as he watched her press a soaked towel against the table uselessly. She was right, of course. He was sick of trying to be something he wasn't. But one fact was undeniable…

In one swift motion he was yanking the towel from her hand and throwing it across the room and into the kitchen sink. Then he grabbed her, forcing her against the wall and pinning her there with his sheer strength. His lips met hers roughly, tongue sliding against tongue and tension melting. Eventually he broke his lips free from hers. "That all may be true, but none of it fucking matters because I came back here for you. I don't care about the rest. You think any of it would be different if I went back to Hueco Mundo? It would be the same shit only worse. You said it yourself. Even if I took it all back from Halibel and Nel, it would mean nothing because I'd just be a nobody king sitting on a broken throne. Everything always looks so great when it's in your head, but that's the quickest way to be unhappy with what you have. Learned that from Aizen. I'd much rather enjoy what I have here even if some days it pisses me off."

Haruka nodded, her face soft. "And I want to help make it better." She replied.

"There's nothing you gotta do." He reaffirmed.

She smiled wide again. "Too late." She said in a sing-songy voice.

He rolled his eyes. "Alright, let me finish eating at least and then we can go." He pushed himself off her, but before he could move back to the table, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged him into a kiss. Then she broke away, shooting him a sultry look before going back to her meal.

When they were finished with dinner, they made their way to Haruka's car. "It's far?" He asked as he moved into the passenger seat.

"A little." She remarked as she started the vehicle. A moment later they were on the road, driving towards Haruka's surprise.

The further away they drove from the harsh city lights, the more beautiful the sky became. Slowly the stars revealed themselves, dotting the darkness with intricate patterns. The moon stood center, bold and bright. Grimmjow's eyes were set out the passenger window, the glass rolled down so the cool night breeze could brush along his skin. He watched as the houses got further and further apart, the isolation suddenly calming him. He made mental notes of locations he was familiar with on the outskirts, specifically the run down barn that held the entrance to Clogs' alternate training facility. Soon they were bypassing even familiar locales and that's when he finally turned to her. "Where the hell are we going?"

His impatience amused her. He hated not knowing; hated not being in control of his environment or situation. But he trusted her. And the fact that the annoyance had finally left his tone satisfied her immensely. "We're almost there." She reassured. A mild grumble rumbled from the back of his throat as he turned back to his sightseeing.

Eventually the car began to slow and he immediately perked up. He saw they were turning into a driveway of a medium-sized farm house with a big red sign propped in the front yard. The house was a little run down, but that hardly bothered him. What intrigued him the most was the fact that there was no one else around; no other homes, shacks, apartment buildings, anything…

"What's this place?" He asked cautiously.

She turned to face him as she shut the car off. Her smile was soft and warm. "Welcome home."

"Home?" Confusion twisted his face for a moment as his eyes scanned the house again.

"I took a loan from Urahara to buy this place. It has a lot of land and it's quiet. I figured it would be a nice place to, you know, settle down." She replied sheepishly. "And it's not far from the training grounds either so you always have access to that. There aren't a lot of people that live out this far so…"

Before she could explain any further, he was getting out of the car and approaching the home. "My offer was accepted today." She continued as she followed him. "So I just have to go through the closing process and it will be ours. I was just too excited not to show you." _Especially with how grumpy you've been lately. _She added in her head.

"You did this for me?" He glanced back at her from the front porch.

"Well for both of us. Urahara-san was right. If we plan on staying here, we might as well settle into it." She announced. "So, what do you think?"

He looked around again and inhaled deep. The scent of wood and dirt brought with it a sense of connection again. The sounds of chirping frogs and buzzing insects was nearly deafening but spoke to the life that was out here as opposed to the stifling dead noise of the city. Everything here felt peaceful.

His sapphire gaze found her purple stare and he smirked. "You've done good, Kitten."

She smiled back. "I know."

She followed him as he found a comfortable spot in the grass to sit and look up at the night sky. The grass caressed the exposed skin of his arms as he leaned back onto his elbows. Haruka sat beside him, her arms brushing against him naturally. They fell into a welcoming silence as they enjoyed their surroundings.

"Hey, Ruka…" His voice rumbled, silencing nearby insects.

"Yea?" She answered back quietly, her eyes never leaving the sky above.

"Thanks for thinkin' of me." His reply directed her gaze to him. His face was soft and his body relaxed. He was still watching the sky, tracing patterns and looking for peculiarities. He was suddenly caught off guard as she collided with him, her arms tangling around his neck and her face nuzzling against his shoulder. He collapsed backwards onto the ground, taking her with him and embracing her tightly.

"I'll always be thinking of you." She whispered. "Welcome home, Grimmjow."


	6. Need for Speed

Need for Speed -

It was the third day of his silence being interrupted by the distant roaring of engines. He acknowledged, of course, that his hearing was well beyond that of a typical human or that of his Shinigami girlfriend and knew the noise he was hearing was far enough away that she or any person would never hear it. He, however, did and it was mutilating his solace.

He probably could have trained his brain to just ignore it, given an effort, but his curiosity grew more than anything else. So, what was the harm in a walk to take a look?

Other than a furious girlfriend over the fact he was supposed to be unpacking their stuff and fixing the place up while she was at work, but he could smooth her over later.

"Bark, bark, bark! Bark, bark, bark!" That incessant high pitched noise of Ruka's mod soul made him cringe.

"What do you want?" He snarled.

"Where are you going!?" She demanded, stupidly. "You are supposed to be unpacking!"

"I don't answer to you, _dog._" He spat and she growled.

"You can't leave me here with that cat!" She insisted as her tiny stuffed legs tripped over one another and had her tumbling down the front porch steps.

"Don't care. Crey! Don't fuck the place up while I'm gone." He shouted, to which he heard a soft "_meow" _in response.

Moments later, he was pushing through the rickety white gate and towards the road, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he leisurely strolled. He sort of hated not having a method of transportation. He had begrudgingly let Ruka teach him how to drive her car, but it was beyond ridiculous. The reality of it, though, was that these gigais just couldn't take the long term strain of a move like sonido. Every now and again he would use it, but it came with consequences. That and it wasn't realistic anymore while living among the humans.

But what he'd give just be able to move fast again.

Eventually the roar of engines grew tenfold as a large stadium-like structure appeared in the distance, surrounded by literally nothing. As he approached, he noticed it was mostly isolated with only a few vehicles rigged with trailers parked outside of it. He continued to what he guessed was the entrance, where he finally encountered another living being.

"Here to watch?" The middle-aged human asked. He was sitting in a chair next to the door while watching videos on his phone. His one brow was lifted towards Grimmjow, eyeing him curiously.

Grimmjow held his stare for a minute, looked around briefly one last time before answering with a simple, "Yea."

"Go on in. Open stands are on the left. Stay off the track." The man answered before looking back down at his phone.

Grimmjow nodded before moving through the doors. He thought briefly about listening to the doorman and going left, but really, if he was going to find the source of this racket, he was going to confront it up close. So against the perfectly rational advice he was given, Grimmjow walked straight until he arrived at the center of the stadium to find the machines responsible.

The first wave of obnoxious speeding machines flew by him just as he reached the protective barricade separating him from the track. His brow furrowed with his concentration as he analyzed what he was seeing.

Now, he had been living in the World of the Living long enough now to have seen a wide array of human transportation. Everything from cars to trucks to trains to mopeds had the honor of annoying the shit out of him at one time or another, but he never really came in contact with motorcycles like this before. Each machine was sleek with designs meant for speed, their colors bright and meant for catching the eye. Each racer was practically lying upon the gas tank, their bodies so flush that they could have been an appendage of the bike. Their knees nearly touched the pavement as the bikes flew around turns with fluidity. It had captivated his interest.

"First time here?" A new voice intruded his admiration. He shifted his head only slight, enough for his eyes to graze over the human male with short black hair and blazing orange eyes.

"Yea."

"Nice. Come on over, you can meet the racers." The man offered. Grimmjow wasn't about to refuse a proposition like that. He wanted an up close and personal introduction to those speedy machines. So he nodded once and followed the man dressed from head to toe in protective gear. "Name's Mike. What's yours?" He asked as they approached the racers that were slowing to a stop. The one closest to them pulled his helmet off and climbed off his bike.

"Grimmjow-san?"

Grimmjow eyed up the rider. He was tall and heavily built; someone you wouldn't expect on a racing bike meant for speed. He was also very familiar. "You're Kurosaki's giant friend."

The racer looked sheepish while clearing his throat. "It's Sado."

"Hey, you know this guy, Sado?" Mike asked.

"He's an acquaintance." Sado answered with uncertainty.

"Hey, teach me how to ride one of those." Grimmjow ordered casually.

"Uh, yea, sure." Mike stuttered. "We've got a few lower cc bikes we use for newbies on the track."

"I ain't a newbie." Grimmjow glared.

"Grimmjow, you need a license to ride a motorcycle." Sado interrupted as Mike backpedaled.

"Well then get me one." He said simply and Sado sighed. "And don't tell my girlfriend."

* * *

*three weeks later*

Haruka sighed with relief as she drove into the driveway and parked. She was exhausted after a long day shift and was looking forward to some dinner and relaxation. "I hope he finished fixing that patch in the roof today." She mused to herself as she heard a rumble of thunder in the distance, or what she assumed was thunder.

She dragged her tired body up the porch steps and pushed open the door. It was pitch black. "Grimmjow? I'm home!" She announced. "Grimmjow?" She glanced around several rooms that had looked exactly how she left them this morning. A twitch of irritation formed on her brow as it became obvious he had, yet again, neglected to get anything done. Now, that wouldn't have been a big deal if he had been at work, but since Urahara had given him so much time off to fix the house, that should have been what he was doing.

"I swear, what the hell does he do all day?" She grumbled as she continued moving up the stairs. "Grimmjow!"

"Bark, bark, bark!"

"Oi, Mimi… You don't have to bark. You're not really a dog." Haruka stated for probably the hundredth time.

"Mister-sama's been leaving me here alone with Crey for the last three weeks and I won't be silent about it anymore!" She shrieked.

"What…" Haruka deadpanned.

It was then the roaring thunder she thought she was hearing turned into something much more constant. "What is that?" She stormed out to the front porch and peered down the road in the direction it was coming from.

Within seconds, a sport bike came into view, speeding down the road and not slowing until it got right in front of the house. "You have got to be kidding me." Haruka nearly laughed as the rider stood up straight and planted his feet to the ground to keep the bike steady. He pulled the full face helmet from his head and revealed himself. "Well at least I know what you've been doing for the last three weeks."

"Come on, I'll give you a ride you'll never forget." He said with a smirk.

"You've already done that plenty of times." Haruka replied.

"Come on, Kitten. Don't be scared." He purred.

"I'm not scared!"

"Then get on."

"I don't have a helmet." She crossed her arms and smirked as if she had just won the argument.

That was until he reached down to the opposite side of the bike. "I got an extra."

Haruka rolled her eyes before moving towards the idling machine. "Are you sure about this?"

Grimmjow laughed as he handed her the helmet. "It's a blast, Ruka." She studied his face briefly then, realizing it had been a while since she'd seen his expression light up like that. It was akin to how excited he got during a tough battle.

Haruka smiled while pulling the helmet over her head. "Alright." She put one foot on the closest passenger peg high on the back end of the bike and lifted herself over the tail. The seat was tiny, but enough for her at least. She found the opposite peg on the other side before wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Lean into me and keep your hands on the tank. I don't want you flying off." He teased.

"Grimmjow, I swear if you go too faaaassst... Grimmjow!" Without a moment's hesitation he was taking off and she was clinging to him for dear life. Her thighs squeezed against his hips and her chest pressed against his back. "Grimmjow! Please slow down!" But it was a futile effort. No sounds could be heard over the loud revving of the engine and the encapsulating wind rushing by them. She felt as he crouched lower, his hand twisting the throttle more and the bike screaming with intensity. Or perhaps it was Haruka that was doing most of the screaming.

Soon the screaming was turning to laughter as the fear of falling off slowly morphed into a thrill at flying through the night. Little by little, she shifted back pressing most of her weight onto her hands and the tank and allowing his back a slight reprieve at holding her up. Soon she was sitting up more as he slowed to a more leisurely pace, one where they both could enjoy the feel of the night on their skin and the peace of just existing.

Eventually they returned back to their home with Grimmjow finding a clear spot in the garage for his new prized possession. Haruka's legs were like jelly as she eased herself down and pulled her helmet off. Grimmjow followed after setting the kickstand in place. "Told you it was a blast." He said around a grin.

"Yea, that might have been the best ride you've ever given me." She teased while walking towards the house.

"Yea- hey wait…what?" He shouted as she laughed.

"You can always try and prove me wrong!" She replied suggestively.

"Oh I'll prove you wrong alright." He said as he caught up to her, pulling her flush against him. His head dipped to her neck, nuzzling into it before pressing eager lips against her skin where her felt her pulse. She shivered, her hands reaching up and finding his hair.

She indulged for a few moments later before twisting out of his grasp to face him. "Tomorrow, you're working on the house."


	7. Haruka in Wonderland

_/*So I wasn't planning on a Halloween one-shot type thing only because I'm so horrible at thinking up of good costumes to fit the characters, but then 'Mad Hatter' came on my Pandora playlist and this just kind of wrote itself (that and you guys requested it several times). Hope you like! Please note that this is just meant to be a fun quick little one shot and not all the personalities match with what the characters are dressed up as (this was very last minute). I also tried to include as many bleach characters as possible, but it isn't always easy (there are just so many of them!). Warnings: Grimmjow gets a little grope-y and Haruka a little bit of a tease in this one. It does go a bit beyond fluff (like foreplay area). Could also be considered slightly non-con so just be aware if that's not your thing, you might want to skip this one. Also, please forgive any typos or grammatic errors. I usually proofread several times before posting, but this one was rushed (just finished it this morning). Anyway, hope you enjoy! */_

* * *

Haruka in Wonderland -

"Are you done yet?" He snapped, his fingers tapping irritatingly against the countertop.

"Stop talking; you are going to make me mess up." Haruka replied as she dipped the fine tip brush into the bright blue paint. She brought the brush to just under his eye, following his cheekbone until she reached his hairline.

"I'm going to regret agreeing to this, aren't I?" He grumbled and she smirked.

"You are going to fit the part perfectly just as soon as I paint that grumpy frown off your face." She dipped the brush again and continued her detailed work. "Now stop talking."

He rolled his eyes before settling his stare in front of him and on two perfectly pushed-up globes of skin nearly spilling out from the modified dress. It had been part of the deal. He'd only do this stupid dress-up routine if he got something to look at while they were at that shitty dull party. What the hell was she supposed to be again? Some chick stuck in a dream? It didn't matter as long as he got what he was looking for.

His hand moved up automatically, coarse fingers sliding against smooth skin and dipping into the valley between. "Stop it." She said firmly, her stern purple gaze pinning him mid grope.

"You said-"

"I said after the party. You need to behave until after the party. You are going to ruin my dress and make-up." She nearly pouted as she removed his hand herself.

"There ain't no make-up on your tits and I'll be careful with the dress." He rationalized as he tugged at the neckline.

"Grimmjow, knock it off. We are going to be late. You can have your fun later." She scolded. She should have known better to think he could sit there patiently while she painted her masterpiece work on his face.

An audible growl rumbled from the back of his throat, but shockingly he relented. "Hurry the fuck up. I ain't a canvas." He grumbled as a victorious smile graced her lips before she went back to the tedious task of painting perfect stripes.

It only took ten minutes or so more before she was happy with her work. "Ok! Let me just go put my wig on and finish up my make-up and then we can go." She announced before nearly skipping to the bathroom. There was definitely a joyful jump to her step over this ridiculous invitation from Urahara. It was the other reason he gave into going with her.

He followed at a leisurely pace, curious enough with what she had painted on him to find the bathroom mirror. She, however, had placed herself in front of it while attempting to stuff her long midnight locks under a bright blonde wig. When that task was complete, she quickly dug through a bag of various make-up she had just recently purchased.

"Do you think this looks ok?" She asked after a rigorous routine that she had carefully written step by step instructions to the night prior.

"You look better without it." He snorted.

"You're not helping." She frowned before turning back to the mirror to fuss some more.

"Are you done? I want to see what the hell you did to my face."

"Oh! I have to get the rest of your costume!" She said eagerly. He was finally able to get a look in the mirror. He didn't recognize himself at first. A wide, impish grin had been painted around his mouth, giving him a permanent mischievous profile. The rest of his face was painted in alternating shades of blue stripes, given depth by various shades of greys and blacks. He had to admit, she did do a damn good job even if he still felt this whole thing was stupid.

"Here!" She announced as her hands were reaching around his waist from behind. At first he had thought he was finally getting some much needed attention, but was immediately disappointed by the sight of a thick string in both of her hands.

"What are you tying on me?" He twisted his head around quickly, feeling the sensation of something hanging from his lower back. He grabbed the fake tail harshly with one hand and held it up as if to show her. "No." He stated simply while glaring at her.

"Yes." She returned nearly laughing at how pleased she was with herself. "I worked hard on it!"

"You painted blue stripes on it." He said flatly.

"You'll wear it. And this too." She added as she quickly slid a headband on his head. Attached to it was none other than a pair of matching cat ears. "And you'll keep it on if you want the goods." She teased as she turned. She bent over, pretending to pick something up while tugging her baby-blue dress enough to just barely reveal the silky white undergarments beneath.

Grimmjow's jaw clenched as his eyes caught a glimpse of the fabric. "Kitten…" He growled with warning, making it clear she was pushing him near an edge that he would not be able to come back from.

"Just a little incentive." She purred before strutting down the staircase and towards their front door. "Come on. I don't want to be late."

One excruciating car ride later, they were arriving at the old shop in the middle of Karukara Town. "You better keep your hands to yourself." She warned.

"You just don't want me torturing you like you torture me." He scoffed.

"Whatever torture you are going through is self-inflicted so don't try to make me feel guilty." She returned as they walked together to the door.

"Tell that to your tits about to spring free from that dress." He returned.

"You _wanted_ it this way, Chess." She accused. His nose scrunched at the reference.

"Yea so I could get better access." He shrugged before knocking on the door harshly.

"I swear…" Haruka ground her teeth together as she stood at his side. The door swooshed open dramatically as they were greeted by a familiar shop keeper in a tall top hat and colorful suite. "Well, well look at who we have here! Welcome Alice-chan and Cheshire-san."

"Nice to see you, Mad Hatter-san." Haruka giggled.

"You were in on it with him?" Grimmjow deadpanned.

"He came up with the idea." Haruka mentioned. "I thought it was cute."

"Yea, cute. I can think of something cuter…"

"Stop it, _Cheshire_." She whispered harshly while nudging him in the side.

"Welcome to my little tea party. Please follow March Hare to the main festivities." Urahara waved his cane outward like he was some sort of ringmaster.

A low feminine chuckle took the lead, "Good to see you Haruka-chan, Grimmjow." Yoruichi appeared adorned in a green top hat nestled on two large rabbit ears. She was dressed in a suite top and tight grey leggings with a large puffy tail on the back end.

"I love your costume!" Haruka complimented.

"Thank you. I like yours as well." She mentioned as she led them down the stairs and to Urahara's training grounds.

"Pfft. You all planned it." Grimmjow huffed.

"Well you look like a part in it so…" Yoruichi began.

"Only because she did me up this way." He pointed at Haruka who could only smirk sheepishly.

"Well you fit the role, Grimmjow-san." Yoruichi said strategically. "Now. let's join the others."

Slowly, they traversed the steps, each adorned with its own jack-o-lantern blazing with lights. Finally, they reached the bottom where a very large group of various characters gathered around a huge stone table covered with a checkered tablecloth. The area was partially closed off simply from the huge maze of giant playing cards and overgrown mushrooms. There were small Halloween touches as well with more jack-o-lanterns in various positions, spider webs blocking many of the gaps between the cards, and skeletons creeping throughout the maze.

"Urahara really knows how to stick to a theme." Haruka mentioned in awe.

"You wouldn't know it, but he actually very much enjoys planning parties." Yoruichi shrugged while leading them to the rest of the group.

"Off with their heads!" A cheery little voice cried from the shoulder of a behemoth. She was wearing a red and black dress with red hearts neatly patterned across the fabric. Her usual bright pink hair was tucked under a flaming red wig and adorned with a golden crown.

The beast of a man beneath her grunted. "Yachiru! You going to say that to everything that moves?" He, too, was wearing a golden crown and red cloak that matched with his partner's dress. Beneath the cloak, however, he was wearing his usual garb of the Shinigami sans his Captain's Haori.

"Ken-chan! Off with your head!" She cried enthusiastically. Kenpachi grumbled again before pulling a sweet from his pocket and throwing it up to her. "Candy! Nom, nom, nom."

"Yo. Grimmjow, wanna fight?" Kenpachi asked grufly as Yachiru stuffed her face.

A grin broke apart Grimmjow's face, forcing that mischievous paint to look even more devious. "You sure you can handle me, old man?" He asked as he cracked his knuckles.

"Later." Haruka butted in as she saw an equally devious smile form on Kenpachi. "Apologies, Captain, but he has other obligations this evening."

"You're on a tight leash." Kenpachi chuckled and Grimmjow grimaced. Before the latter could make a rebuttal, a ravaging Yachiru tackled Kenpachi's face.

"More candy!"

"You trying real hard to ruin my night, ain't ya?" He grumbled to his date.

"You promised." She reiterated as her brow lifted. "I just want one night where I don't have to patch up lacerations or repair broken property, please."

He rolled his eyes. "Quit being so damn dramatic."

"Oh my you look so cute!" A new voice interrupted.

Haruka turned quickly at whoever was tugging at her dress. "Oh thank you." She said to the busty woman dressed in Victorian style clothing. "Matsumoto-san, right?"

The woman smiled as she nodded. She began tugging at Haruka's clothing. "I had wanted to be Alice, but Urahara-san had said it was already taken." She pouted.

"So she chose the Dutchess." Kira, who was wearing a turtle shell, mentioned. Others moved up to join them, some wearing coy little smirks and others giggling.

"And I still don't see why that is bad? I think I would make a very good Dutchess." She refuted.

"Boobies chose the ugly character." The red-haired little monster said as she jumped on Kira's head.

"Come here you little twirp!" Matsumoto shouted. "I am not ugly!"

Haruka and Grimmjow eventually separated. Haruka was pulled off with Orihime who was dressed like the Dodo and Rukia who had taken a liking to the White Rabbit. Grimmjow found himself with a Gryphon-dressed Renji and Ichigo dressed like a lizard.

"You two get dragged here by your women, too?" Grimmjow snorted before chugging his beer.

"Yup." They both answered while taking sips of their own beverages.

"So anything set up outside these walls?" Grimmjow questioned casually.

The two others shrugged. "Doubt it. Urahara went to all the trouble of walling this all off probably so he didn't have to decorate the whole place." Ichigo mentioned.

"I hear he's got this whole game set up with prizes and everything." Renji said.

"Game?"

"Yea. Someone said this whole thing is a maze."

"Fuck this. Let's slip out one of the gaps and go spar or something." Grimmjow suggested before crushing an empty can in his hand.

"Meh, I don't know. Orihime worked really hard on this costume. I don't want to disappoint her by getting it ruined."

"Pussy."

"I'm with Kurosaki." Renji agreed. "Rukia would kill me."

"You two are fucking whipped." Grimmjow pouted.

"Says the guy with stripes and a big fucking grin painted on his face." Renji countered.

"Watch it…" He growled before his eyes caught a glimpse of a radiant purple glance in his direction. Her genuine smile and ease of motion had him pausing. Then, he got a better idea. "When's this 'game' supposed to start?" He asked Renji.

Renji shrugged. "Probably after the food."

And so the three continued to drink and bullshit until the meal was finally out and on the table. They joined back up with their designated dates and all found seating. "I want to thank you all for coming. It's not often we get to enjoy each others company like this. To end the festivities, I wanted to invite you all to a game." Urahara announced from the head of the table. "I've hidden several caches of treats along with some tricks through my card maze. I wanted to give you all the opportunity to fill your goody bags." He chuckled.

"Yay, sweet treats! Come on, Ken-chan! Let's go get those treats!" Yachiru cheered as she jumped on Kenpachi's back.

"Better be something good out of this." He grumbled lightly before charging through one of the spider webs and running into the maze.

"Hey, we can't let them get all the good stuff! Ikkaku, Kira! Let's go!" Matsumoto cried out.

"Hey, let's do girls versus boys." Rukia suggested. "Inoue, Haruka, and I challenge you three. The ones that come out with the most treats wins!"

"Your on, Rukia!" Renji shouted before anyone else could even get a word in.

"What do we win?" Grimmjow asked coyly.

"It's a surprise." Rukia replied playfully. "Come on, girls!" The three of them giggled while running into a gap that was spider web free and began racing through the maze.

"Come on, we can't let them win!" Renji said.

"Oi, you realize how stupid this is right?"

"Oh, Ichigo! What's the matter? Scared you might lose to a GIRL!?" Rukia called out.

"Rukia-san, that's mean!" Orihime attempted to refute unsuccessfully.

An irritation formed on Ichigo's brow. "Let's go Renji." He said around grit teeth.

"You two pussies have fun. I got other plans." Grimmjow waved them off as he picked a different route with a different idea on how he could get his fun.

The remaining captains sat around the stone table enjoying their tea and watching the game play out.

"Let's look this way." Haruka encouraged as they took yet another familiar loop around.

"No, I think we should go this way." Orihime suggested.

"We should go back the way we came. There was another opening." Rukia said on a frustrated voice.

"Maybe we should just split up. We can gather more caches that way and we can just put it all together at the end." Haruka said as the other two sighed.

"Good idea." Orihime cheered. "Though with these barriers, it's almost impossible to tell where we are."

"Just do the best you can. It's not like Urahara would leave us in here forever." Haruka rationalized.

Both Rukia and Orihime deadpanned.

Haruka stammered. "Well he has to clean this place up for the next party right? That and my employer would come looking for me."

While the three decided to separate, another had taken to watching from afar and secretly cheered his luck when his prey had finally split off from the other two. A thrill had formed in the pit of his stomach as he carefully tracked her in the darkness. The sheer level of his ability far outweighed the measly barriers that Clogs had erected around these cards. He could track her through this entire place if he wanted.

Haruka moved around another corner and came to, yet another, dead end. "You'd think I'd be better at this." She huffed while glancing at her bag that barely had enough treats to fill the bottom. It was then she got a strange tingling sensation at the back of her neck, like someone was watching her.

"Is anybody there?" She called out. There were at least a dozen other people traversing the maze with her, so it wasn't impossible, but it was Urahara's mention of tricks that had her on edge. She had already dodged a creepy, bumbling skeleton in the hallway before. She wouldn't put it past him to have some creature or another stalk the innocent candy gatherers.

When she got no response she continued on, her eyes carefully scanning each dark crevice as she went until she came upon one of the caches. "Finally, something good!" She said as she rubbed her hands together. She went up to the large crate and jumped when a light flashed from it.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" a low, unfamiliar tone asked from the strange light.

"A riddle? Seriously, Urahara?" Haruka huffed.

"That is incorrect." The voice responded just before the light disappeared.

"Wait, what!? No, that wasn't my answer!" She screeched as her hands began exploring the box in an attempt to find a way to open it. "What a lousy trick."

She managed to get lost in her struggle for treats, causing her to completely disregard her surroundings. It happened so fast, her very scream got lost in her throat. She was pulled into one of the dark corners, one rough and calloused hand covered her mouth and the other wrapped around her midsection. Her face was pressed against the playing card as she fought to wrench herself free from the intruder.

"Shhh." The voice soothed in her ear as a solid chest pinned her in place so the hand around her stomach could roam somewhat freely. She felt as it tugged the neckline of her dress and exposed her chest to his rough touch.

She fought harder, her hips pressing against him and her arms squirming free enough to force him to release her mouth. "Let go of me!" She shouted as he grabbed her arms and pinned her so hard against the wall that it was hard to breathe. Her heart was racing and panic began to set in. It had never occurred to her to figure out who was actually attacking her as she was only concerned with freeing herself from his hold.

He reveled in it. That deeply embedded instinct to hunt had sparked alive for the first time in ages. He had caught her and now he was going to take exactly what he wanted from her.

His lips found a soft spot on her neck to lavish, causing her to squirm in his hold. "Stop it!" She screamed. His free hand pulled on her dress, lifting it until he gained access to those silky undergarments. "No, no. I will kill you!"

She felt him smirk against her neck before his lips moved to her earlobe. "I'd love to see you try, Kitten." His voice was deadly and low with an overwhelming excitement that vibrated along her skin.

"Grimmjow!?" She shrieked. "You asshole! I really am going to kill you!" Haruka's fight increased, attempting to wrench herself free of his hold. She felt as his hips pressed against her ass, crushing her to the wall eagerly. His hand continued to roam the drenched fabric between her legs.

"Mmm, I love it when you put up a good fight." He nearly groaned. His finger slid beneath the thin barrier and slowly massaged her sex. A guttural sound escaped from the back of her throat and her body quivered. The hand that was gripped around her wrists released her and slid down to grasp one exposed breast. She sighed as the flats of her palms pinned against the wall. "See how easy that is, Kitten?"

"You...are...such...a...jerk…" She sighed as her hips involuntarily thrusted against his intruding fingers.

"It's what you get for teasing me all night." He chuckled.

"Grimmjow…" She attempted to think of some witty response, but it got lost in the haze of sensations forming at each caress from his fingers. And he loved every minute of it.

"What's the matter, Kitten? I thought you were going to try and kill me?" He whispered against her neck.

"Please…" She begged as her hands fisted against the wall, his precise touch torturous.

"Please what?" He cooed. She groaned, her thoughts getting lost.

And then his hand was pinning against her mouth, silencing her. His fingers froze as he heard the incoming sounds of what he could only liken to a bull and squawking bird interrupting his capture.

"Look, Ken-chan! There's one!" Yachiru squeaked. Kenpachi stalked over to the box as Grimmjow glared at them both from the darkness. Haruka quivered beneath his hold, his towering strength and assault on her most sensitive places had her whimpering beneath his iron grip. He felt how close she was to breaking, her fingernails digging into his wrists and desperate panting beneath his palm. He sunk his teeth into her earlobe causing a hiss of air to flare her nostrils. His sapphire glare remained on the two annoying Shinigami intruding on his fun.

The box exploded with light once again, the same riddle being asked to the Captain and his Lieutenant. "Oh I love games!" Yachiru cheered as she clapped.

"That is incorrect." The box chimed before the light disappeared again. Yachiru stared at it for a moment, confusion forming on her brow.

Then tears erupted. "That's unfair! I didn't even get a chance to answer!" She cried.

Kenpachi rolled his eyes as he raised his sword over his head.

Haruka pulled at Grimmjow's wrist, feverishly trying to wrench his hand off her mouth. He glanced at her, annoyed but aware of her sudden panic. He slid his fingers apart enough for her to speak. "It's a trick." She whispered harshly to him while craning her neck towards him.

A second later, Kenpachi's sword was making contact with the wooden structure. Grimmjow realized instantly what the result would be. Without hesitating he readjusted his position, wrapping Haruka up in a protective embrace as the box exploded and send all four of them flying.

Haruka gasped from beneath the solid protectiveness of her Espada lover, quickly adjusting her dress to what it was prior to getting caught. Not far from them, Kenpachi stood with a cheerful Yachiru on his shoulder. "Yay! That was fun!" She cheered. "Come on Ken-chan, let's go find more!"

Haruka sighed as she watched the pair run off in a different direction and completely disregarding them.

"No, Kenny, it's this way!" Yachiru shouted.

"Yachiru! You're leading us in circles." He grumbled.

"I promise, Ken-chan, I know it's this way."

Haruka sat on the ground, dumbfounded and in awe at the two. Grimmjow stood beside her, his hands pressed to his hips and fully irritated that his night just kept getting worse. When he felt a tug at his fake tail he looked down at an innocent-looking Haruka, her dress in tatters and scorch marks all over her wig.

"You going to finish what you started?" She asked.

He quirked his head, half surprised she was still interested. "I can't say no to you, Kitten." He purred.

"Give me a head start this time." She smiled wickedly.

"You're going to need it." He teased as he watched her run down another random hallway.


	8. Dreams of a Chance

_/* Hi all! Thanks as always for reading and the reviews (and so glad you liked my Halloween one shot!). Just want to let you all know that in order to squeeze time into writing the third installment, these one shots will not be updated as frequently. That said, I will write a holiday one shot and there have been many requests for one that dives into lemon territory so I will get one done for that hopefully soon. I will continue to try and get to as many requests as I can over the coming months as I find the time. Warnings for this one - a little story driven, some hurt/comfort and angst here, and also some fluff. Hope you enjoy! */_

* * *

Dreams of a Chance -

A quiet little tune hummed from her lips as she washed the dishes piled in the sink. It was way more than she was used to. Or maybe it wasn't.

She paid little mind to the work, as if it was simply routine now. Even when she heard the high pitched scream coming from the living room, she didn't miss a beat. "Hey! No fighting you two!" She yelled while grabbing the dish towel on the counter and drying her hands. She moved quickly as the screams increased.

"That's mine! Give it back!" One tiny voice shouted.

"No!" An even smaller voice responded in kind. "No! No! No!" was subsequently followed by a high-pitched toddler screech.

"Hey, hey what is going on?" Haruka scolded.

"He took my doll!" The little girl with sapphire blue hair and no older than four accused as she pointed helplessly at her little brother who had the doll in a tight embrace.

Haruka sighed, a headache starting to form. She crouched in front of the little boy. "Can I have the doll?" She asked as sweetly as she could. He shook his head violently before another scream came from the back of his throat, "NO!" Then he threw the doll across the room.

"You are too much like your father." Haruka muttered while turning to pick up the doll. She reached down, her fingers brushing against the soft fabric material and then a rush of a realization came over her.

"_How did I get here?" _She thought as she looked around again.

"You wanted this." A familiar male voice pulled her attention to the doorway. He was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. He looked a few years older and a bit more relaxed. He looked genuinely...happy.

"I wanted this?" She asked while trying to remember how she got to this point. She peered behind her at the two children who were now playing together. "But I don't even…" She paused.

"Or did you want this to just slip away?" He asked while pushing himself off the wooden frame. His arms had fallen to his sides as he stopped beside her.

The image distorted, their tiny bodies fading slowly. "Wait, where are they going!? Where are my babies?" She asked frantic.

"Why are you so scared? You're more scared of the terrible things that could happen then of missing out on the good of what could have had the chance." He accused calmly.

"And why shouldn't I be?" She asked as her mind was finally starting to comprehend that none of this was real. "My whole life has been a tragedy."

"You write your own story. The only one still making it a tragedy is you."

* * *

She shot up in bed, gasping. It was dark aside from the lingering rays from the moon filtering in through the window. "Ruka? What's wrong?" Grimmjow asked from beside her, his voice laced with sleep. He shifted around before sitting up in an attempt to see her face.

"N-nothing." She replied on a quivering voice. "Just a dream."

He looked at her skeptically. "You sure it was just a dream?"

Her hands literally shook at his question. "I just need time to process it." She replied.

"What did you see?" He always attempted to get her to open up despite it not usually working. She always had to take her time to think about everything. It drove him nuts. How the hell was he supposed to help her if he didn't know what the hell was wrong? But in the end, it never mattered. She would never talk before she was ready.

"I-I just need to sort it out in my head." She tried again.

"Ruka-"

"Grimmjow! I don't know what I saw. I don't know!" She shouted.

His jaw clenched as he reigned in his temper. This wasn't new, but it had been a long time since he'd seen her this shaken up. "Alright, Kitten." He relented before laying back against his pillow and dragging her with him. His arms enclosed around her as her face buried into his chest. Her hands ran along his chest as she clung to him. She sighed heavily. He felt her tense muscles start to relax and her trembling stop.

He waited and waited and waited for her to slip back into a slumber, but she never did. The rhythm of her heart never steadied. That soft gentle snore never returned. She was _really_ shaken up by this.

After over an hour of waiting he shifted his head so he could see her eyes, open wide and staring into the void. "Let's go." He announced as he maneuvered her off of him and got to his feet.

She looked up at him, her brow scrunched with confusion. "Go where?"

"The grounds." He said simply.

"Why?"

"I'll get the bike ready." Was his only response as he left the bedroom and headed down the stairs.

Fifteen minutes later they were pulling up next to the, now, fixed up barn on the outskirts of town. "You still haven't explained why we are here." She grumbled while pulling her backpack from her shoulders. She unzipped the bag and released to two critters inside.

"Bark, bark, bark!" Mimi yapped. "How could you do that to me, Lady-sama!?" She screeched.

Crey was just as displeased as he hissed angrily. "I concur."

"Don't agree with me!" Mimi snapped.

"You are impossible." Crey returned.

"Enough!" Grimmjow barked, silencing them both. "Now cough it up. We're switching out."

"We are?" Haruka asked, almost shocked.

"You need to blow off steam." He said simply. "And you're going to burn it off on me."

"What? This isn't-"

"You haven't been this shaken up in awhile. That and you've been working really hard lately. You need an outlet." He insisted.

Haruka's brow furrowed. He wasn't wrong in that she did need to blow off some steam, but she wondered if it was wise for him to be the target. She hesitated as he lifted the hidden door at the back corner of the barn.

"Come on." He insisted.

"Coming!" Mimi and Crey both shouted in unison as the sprinted past Haruka.

"Not you two." Grimmjow growled as he extended his palms, slamming them into their foreheads.

"But Mister-sama…" Mimi began.

"You two stay out here and keep watch." He replied while pushing them back.

"Er, um, but what do we do if someone comes?" Crey asked.

"Figure it out." Grimmjow shrugged. "Pretend you were fucking or something. No one will bother with you then."

Crey and Mimi looked at one another, their faces deteriorating into one of disgust.

"Not with him!"

"Not with her!"

They screamed simultaneously.

"Well whatever. I don't give a fuck. Come on, Ruka, let's go." He said with finality, a subtle annoyance lacing his tone.

Haruka said nothing as she followed him, leaving the two mod souls to their own devices. It was once they were out of hearing distance did she finally speak. "Why did you leave them behind?" She asked quietly.

"I want this to just be me and you." He returned.

They reached the bottom of the staircase and their feet were soon sinking into soft sands. "Don't hesitate." He said firmly. "Do what you need to do to clear your head."

She was unable to say anything before he took off in a blast of sonido towards the opposite side of the training grounds. It felt almost pointless. Nothing was going to clear her head at this point. Nothing but a decision.

Regardless of that, she flitted forward to her spot for the spar. She felt for his reiatsu, pulsing with power in the distance. She slid her toes through the sand, digging in her heels and readying for his attack. She pulsed her reiatsu, a vibrant purple lightning, that exploded around and signalled that she was ready for this despite her mind being nowhere near ready.

He didn't wait even a moment. His speed was unfathomable, reaching her in moments before releasing a flurry of punches. She dodged and blocked, her heels scraping against the sands as she took the weight of his attack. Her senses watched his movements, waiting for the perfect break and when it finally came, she ducked and charged. Her shoulder collided with his stomach as she tackled him to the ground. She immediately pushed herself up, knowing his strength would have a full advantage in a battle for submission. Her leg kicked sideways towards his head as she flipped back.

His instincts were infallible. He grabbed her ankle and wrenched it forward. Haruka hit the ground with a resounding thud that sent dust flying into the air around them. She ignored the tickle at the back of her throat as dust attempted to choke her and flailed her ankle free. He attempted to keep his hold, his fingers just brushing against her skin before she used shunpo to slip away.

He quickly dug his toes into the sand, gaining momentum and charging her. It startled her how quickly he overtook her once again. She blocked his incoming kick with two hands, the force of it sending her flying through the air.

One hit after another, he kept coming for her, constraining her focus on the fight instead of the thoughts trying to consume her. Her breathing became heavy as she struggled against him. He was trying for a submission, while she was just trying to stay standing.

She literally screamed her frustration as he got hold of her again, dragging her down and straddling her. He pinned her wrists with one large fist while his other hand pinned down her chest.

"Let go of me!" She struggled beneath his hold.

"You gunna tell me now what's going on in that head of yours?" He asked as he used his legs to pin hers in place.

"Fuck you!" She snarled.

"I'm all for that, Kitten, but not until you tell me what's got you so shaken up." His grip on her tightened, almost painfully, as her frustrations grew tenfold.

"So was this your whole plan? Get me alone to force me to talk?" She asked angrily as her struggle lessened.

"You don't give me any other choice." He rebutted. "I gotta force it outta ya otherwise you're just going to sit in your misery for days. I'm always patient with you. I always wait for you to come to me, but you never do. So this time, I ain't given you a choice."

"You didn't even give me a day." She pointed out.

"What did you see?" He asked again.

Tears started pooling at the corners of her eyes. "You're a real dick, you know that?"

"You're the one that chose me." He reminded her. "Now talk."

She let her head fall back into the sand as the first few tears trickled down the sides of her face. Her eyes travelled to sky above, locking onto the moon and away from his intimidating stare. "I don't know if it was a dream or a vision." She started.

"That don't matter. Either way, it screwed with your head. Why?" His hold loosened as he felt her muscles relax against him.

"It was me losing my chance at happiness." She said cryptically.

Grimmjow's brow scrunched as he sat up on his haunches, still straddling her waist. "By way of?"

Her eyes drifted to the side, taking her head with them. He felt he was losing her trust again. Why the hell didn't she feel comfortable talking to him? It never changed how he felt about her.

He dipped his head down to her newly exposed ear and nuzzled gently. "Talk to me, Kitten. Please." His desire to know everything that related to her sent him down paths he would never think to travel with anyone else. _Now I'm fucking begging._ He thought in his head, but it mattered little as long as it worked.

"We had kids. And they faded away." She replied simply.

He paused in his teasing kisses along her neck when he heard her answer. "Kids?"

His breath tickled against her skin. "Yea." She whispered in a hoarse voice. "I was so happy." She sounded confused, like that life would lead to anything but happiness.

Grimmjow released her wrists and pressed his palms into the sand, his imposing form consuming her view. "And when it faded away?" His voice rumbled against her skin, causing goosebumps to erupt along her flesh.

"I was devastated." She replied. "It felt like I had actually lost children that were mine. It's hard to explain."

"That why you were so shaken?"

She nodded. "That and something you had said."

"Something I said?"

"In my vision. You said that 'I write my own story and the only one still making it a tragedy is me.' Am I just dwelling on my past?" Her gaze found his as she posed her question.

He sat up again and shifted, allowing her to free herself from his hold completely. "You were damaged by your past, but shit, so was I. It doesn't mean you're dwelling on it." He let his elbow rest on his knee as she sat next to him. "Either way, you know my view on the whole thing. It's you that can't get a straight answer out."

"I-" She started, her voice quaking. "I'm so afraid."

He glanced over at her. "Of what?"

"Of more tragedy."

They both went silent, both internalizing exactly what they wanted from this life, from this chance.

There was one thing Grimmjow thought might help. "Why don't you go talk to Kurosaki's old man?" He suggested.

Her brow wrinkled. "Issin?" She verified.

"Yea. He did it. Why not get his perspective on the whole thing? Obviously I ain't got anything to make you feel better about it. But if you are really making decisions based on what could go wrong, you'll never be happy, Haruka." He said, almost bitterly, as he stood up and started walking towards the exit. He couldn't force her into the life he wanted and he sure as hell couldn't force her to be happy. She would have to figure that out on her own.

She sat in the sands of the training ground for literally hours after that. She had long since heard his bike take off down the road, giving her little choice as to where to go from there. Mimi had also joined her, sitting beside her while silently waiting for her decision.

_My decision… _She thought. No, this had to be their decision. But his decision was already made up. It was her that was dragging her feet.

"Let's go, Mimi." She muttered while standing.

"Of course, Lady-sama." Mimi rushed to join her. Soon, Mimi was being placed into her familiar stuffed dog while Haruka began the walk into town.

She hesitated as she reached the small clinic of her former employer just opening up as the sun had finally risen above the horizon. With Mimi tightly in her arms, she pushed her way in. "Welcome! How can we help you today?" The familiar voice of the Kurosaki daughter called out. "Oh, Akiyama-san? It's so good to see you!"

"Good morning, Yuzu-chan. Is your father here?" Haruka asked.

"Yes, he's just finishing with a patient. Do you want to wait in his office?" She said.

"Sure." Haruka made her way to Isshin's office and sat. Her fingers drummed against the arm of the chair, nervousness forming in the pit of her stomach. "Maybe I shouldn't be doing this." She mentioned to the air.

"I think you should." Mimi replied, startling Haruka as she had forgotten she was even with her.

"It isn't right to pry into someone's personal life."

"You're asking for advice. I think that's admirable for anyone who is uncertain in any situation. Just saying, Lady-sama." She remarked.

"How would you know anything about my situation?" Haruka scoffed.

"Lady-sama… Crey and I are not blind nor deaf. We may be foolish at times, but we recognize what is important to you and to Mister-sama. I am just glad that you found the strength to at least search for what you want." She said before nuzzling comfortably in Haruka's lap and sighing.

"Haruka-chan?" Her old boss' voice interrupted her thoughts. She quickly stood, sending Mimi toppling to the floor carelessly.

"Kurosaki-sensei." She bowed.

"Don't 'Kurosaki-sensei' me, Haruka-chan! It's been almost a year since you last visited me! And all you can do is give me a greeting like that!? I thought I was your favorite boss?" Issin whined in his typical fashion.

"I'm sorry. It's just, a lot has happened since I went back to the hospital. It's been very busy." She attempted.

"Yes, yes. Urahara told me all the details since you couldn't even give me the courtesy of a phone call." He continued to tease. "Congratulations on the new home. And I hope Ishida is treating you well."

"Yes, he is. Thank you." Haruka confirmed before going silent. Isshin studied her, the look all too familiar.

"So why did you come? I wasn't expecting you and I'll be honest, Haruka-chan, you don't look all that well…"

Haruka looked over herself briefly. It was true. She was covered in mud up to her ankles from walking the dirt roads and her body was certainly exhausted from lack of sleep. "I wanted to ask you something." She began.

Isshin watched and waited patiently for her to continue. When she didn't he attempted to coax it from her. "And?"

Haruka fiddled with her thumbs and stared into her lap. "How did you do it?"

Isshin looked at her curiously, attempted to decipher her question. "How did I do what?"

"How did you find the courage to start over here?" She finally asked.

Isshin sighed. "I found someone to love and who loved me back." He replied.

Haruka's eyes lifted in disbelief. "That's it?"

"Sometimes that's all one needs. I loved Masaki with everything I had. What better way to show that than to have a family with her; to build and cultivate something that could represent everything we desired to have. We gave up our pasts in order to find our futures." He stated solemnly.

"But you lost her. Your past as a Shinigami and hers a Quincy eventually led to her death." Haruka stated firmly.

"No it wasn't." Isshin nearly laughed. "She was killed by a Hollow. That was not a failing of our past, but a consequence of what we were. We attracted Hollows because of what we were."

"And if you hadn't given up what you were, she would still be alive." Haruka replied with cruelty, causing her to flinch at her own declaration.

But Isshin merely smiled. "By giving it up, we took a risk. It was a risk to be happy with one another and to build our happiness into a family. It was one worth everything. And I have no regrets, Haruka-chan."

Haruka looked away, feeling shame and utter horror at her own statements. "I'm sorry." She whispered while standing. "I should not have said that."

"Don't worry about it. I've long since wrestled with these feelings. But if you are searching for your own answers to these conundrums, I suggest you merely look into your heart ask yourself what you truly want out of your life. You will find the answers and you will also find that they are always worth the risks."

Haruka allowed a small smile to upturn her lips. "Thank you, Kurosaki-sensei." She whispered.

"Anytime."

* * *

It was late afternoon by the time she finally made it back home. She had wound up hitching a ride from Urahara, who was none too pleased that Grimmjow had left her stranded in the city. "I should have a word with him." He nearly growled.

"No, you shouldn't." Haruka returned. "Thank you for the ride, Urahara-san. I will take care of Grimmjow."

"Haruka-chan, please consider allowing me to _speak_ to him in your stead. I would gladly teach him a lesson." Urahara's protectiveness made her smile.

"Thank you, Urahara-san, but I've got this covered."

"I will arrange what you requested next week, though I loathe to think what your future is with that one." He remarked angrily.

Haruka chuckled. "Urahara-san, we both know that leaving me stranded in the city is by far the most tame anyone can expect of him. I know what I'm getting myself into. If there are consequences for it, then I am the only one to blame."

Urahara grit his teeth but relented on pushing the issue any further. Haruka got out of the vehicle and shut the door, glancing back only once to give Urahara a reassuring smile. Finally, he backed out of the driveway and drove off towards his home. Haruka sighed before turning towards the house, her feet finding the stone path.

He was sitting at the small wooden table in the kitchen, a plate of cold food in front of him and Crey asleep at his feet. His gaze only lifted slightly at the sound of the front door shutting and Mimi's incessant barking.

"We're home!" The mod soul cheered as she jumped up and down and then in circles. "Crey, I'm home!"

"Hi, Crey." Haruka greeted as Grimmjow's mod soul actually trotted over to her enthusiastically. After giving him a few pets, she looked up to a grim looking Espada and smiled small. Had it been anyone else, they would have ran for the door, but she knew him better than anyone. She knew every expression, every posture and knew exactly what he was thinking.

She sat at the place setting across from him where a second plate of cold food remained and placed her palm atop of his hand. She squeezed gently, enough to get him to look at her. Then she finally spoke. "What do you want out of this life?"

His eyes set on her calm face, running over each smooth curve before he finally spoke low. "A second chance."

He saw it in the way her eyes shifted ever so slightly. "You are getting a second chance." She said simply.

"Yea and so are you. So why not build it into something worth living?"

"This really means a lot to you, doesn't it?" She asked. He slipped his hand from hers and leaned back in his chair, setting both palms to the back of his head and setting his gaze to the ceiling.

He sighed. "It's something I thought I'd never get the chance to have. Ain't that always what we desire most? The things we never thought we could really have?"

She nodded. "But aren't you afraid?"

His eyes shifted to hers, his expression like stone. "No." Her smile fell away and she drew back slightly. "But that don't mean you don't have to be. But you know Ruka, I'm never going to let you or any kids we have die before me. So I don't have a reason to be afraid."

She scoffed. "You know that's not how it works."

"You keep filling your head with the what-if's. What if we have a kid that's sick? What if we have a kid that can't live past a few days? What if all this is for nothing and Clogs' magic gigais can't make a kid? What if the kid does make it and then does something stupid and gets killed? What then?" He asked while sitting straight, a harshness to his tone.

Haruka flinched. "I would be devastated." She whispered.

"Yea. We'd be devastated together. And we'd get through it together because we are both strong and because we have each other and because we would have chosen this. And you know why we'd choose this? Because what if that kid is perfectly normal? What if that kid smiles at you and loves you and brings you all the joy and happiness and _peace_ you could ever want? What if that kid grows up with you by their side and ends up being someone amazing? What if that kid lives a good fucking life, a life we never got the chance to have, and we can look at that and say 'yea we did good.'? Wouldn't that be worth the risk?"

Haruka's eyes glazed over. "Yea, that would be worth it." She affirmed.

Grimmjow stood up and approached her. He leaned down and pressed one large palm to the back of her head, forcing her lips against his in a warm, soothing kiss. He broke away, his eyes roaming her flushed face. "I love you, Ruka. I ain't leaving. This is forever. So why not?"

She nodded as a smile broke onto her face. "I love you too."

His lips pressed against hers again eagerly as his hands slipped beneath her legs to lift her into his arms. She shrieked as her arms wrapped around his neck. "Good, then let's go make a kid." He announced as he began carrying her to the stairs.

Haruka laughed. "Urahara has to remove the block next week. We can't make one yet."

"Ain't no harm in practicing." He rationalized.

Her laugh was music to his ears as he continued up the stairs and to their bedroom.


	9. City Christmas

_*/ So this is a short one and I don't really like it but I'm out of time (only three more days!) so I leave it here for you! I know I owe you guys a lemon and I'm sorry I haven't posted one yet! Life has just been so nuts this month. I did start it so hopefully I can get it posted soon. Hope everyone has a safe and joy-filled holiday! /*_

* * *

City Christmas –

"Oi, you two ready yet or what!?" The obnoxious voice paired with the rough banging on the door was enough to make Orihime jump out of her skin.

"Relax, Grimmjow. We'll be done in a second." Haruka smirked as she finished lining her lips with the luscious velvet red lipstick. She tugged on her red sparkling sequin dress, adjusting it until she was satisfied, and then moved towards the door. "Are you ready, Orihime-chan?"

As the door opened, her eyes caught the annoyed expression of her favorite Arrancar. His arm was propped up against the door frame and his head dipped below it. He wore a full black suit with a crimson red shirt that matched her dress. It had nearly startled her how different he looked. "Wow, you look so good." She complemented while tugging gently at his jacket.

He unintentionally smirked. "So do you, Kitten."

Haruka's cheeks dusted pink before her eyes travelled to the man standing behind him. "You look good, too, Ichigo-kun." Grimmjow's pleased expression fell away at the compliment to his sworn enemy.

"You too, Haruka." He replied sheepishly before looking for his date. "Inoue, you look beautiful." Ichigo held out his hand to the girl in the green dress. Her face had turned bright red and she could barely stutter out a response.

"Come on, we are going to be late!" Haruka insisted as she took Grimmjow's hand and began pulling him towards the elevator.

"And whose fault is that?" Grimmjow snorted as the group of four got on the elevator.

"Hush you." Haruka replied as she poked him in the side. He grasped her wrist mid-poke and tugged. She tumbled into his grasp, allowing him to pull her flush against his chest and bury his face into her neck.

He nuzzled his lips near her ear. "You owe me for this you know." He reminded her.

"Save your enthusiasm for when we get back to the hotel." She said as she pulled back. He frowned, but released her just as the elevator reached the lobby and the doors opened.

The four walked through the lavish lobby complete with a giant decorated Christmas tree, an overabundance of garland, and cheery holiday music over the sound system. "It's so bright and festive!" Haruka beamed, her excitement nearly contagious.

"I know! Isn't this great? I love the holidays!" Orihime joined in.

Eventually the males managed to drag their dates out the main doors where it only got worse.

"Oh! Kurosaki-kun, they've got horse and buggy rides to the show!" Orihime tugged at Ichigo's sleeve and pointed enthusiastically.

Haruka gave an equally pleading look to Grimmjow. "Please! It will be fun."

Grimmjow sighed and relented, not wishing to dampen her good mood. "Fine."

"Yes!" Haruka cheered as she ran up to the man holding the reins of the horse.

"Wait for me, Akiyama-chan!" Orihime followed, the two of them running the best they could while in heels.

"Dude…" Ichigo looked incredulously at Grimmjow.

"You could have said no." He shrugged before following the girls.

"Come on, slow pokes!" Haruka shouted from the carriage.

Soon they were on the way down the New York streets. Haruka had snuggled next to Grimmjow who looked bored at best. His one hand was gripped on her hip and the other pressed against his chin with an elbow propped against the side of the carriage.

"Oh, look! It's the window displays!" Haruka said to Orihime excitedly as she got up from her seat and pointed.

"Look at all the toys. Oh and that one has a bunch of holiday decorations! Look at that cute sweater…" The two gushed over the famous display windows that lined the sidewalks and were consumed by holiday shoppers. Snow had begun falling from the clouds above, dusting the trees in a white layer. Strings of multi-colored lights that neatly wrapped around each tree flickered off each falling flake. Haruka and Inoue were in awe.

As the women fawned over the exuberant displays, Grimmjow's eyes managed to catch the incoming pothole. It was just second nature by now. He repositioned himself, catching his shrieking woman and planting her on his lap. Orihime had ended up in an equally compromising situation on top of Ichigo.

"Better sit, Ruka." Grimmjow mentioned lightly.

For the rest of the ride, she sat snuggled on Grimmjow's lap and making light conversation with the couple across from her. "Here we are!" The horse-tender announced as he pulled up in front of the Radio City Music Hall. Hordes of people were just beginning to be let inside.

"I have our tickets." Haruka stated as she started reaching for her bag. It was then she realized it was not with her. "Oh no." She looked back to where they had left the carriage only to realize it had already left.

"What's wrong?" Orihime asked.

"My bag. I must have left it at the hotel. I had the tickets in there." She said sadly.

"It's alright, Haruka. There are lots of other things to do in this city." Ichigo attempted to cheer her up.

"But this is probably the only chance I'd ever get to see the Christmas Spectacular and the Rockettes!" She continued to whine.

Grimmjow, on the other hand, felt like he just dodged a fist to his face. He really wasn't looking forward to sitting in on a boring ass show. However, Haruka was doing more than just whining. She looked genuinely distraught and he couldn't have that. He glanced around and made a quick list in his mind.

"Come here." He said as pulled her towards the nearby cart on the sidewalk. He pulled out his wallet and paid for two steaming cups of hot cocoa. As much as he'd never admit it, he did have a little bit of a sweet tooth himself, though Haruka's was much more prominent.

He passed her the cup, which she simply held, as her face remained sully. He sipped his while Ichigo and his broad got their own cups. The four walked together, allowing Grimmjow to lead the way. The biting chill in the air eventually had Haruka succumbing to the delicious heat coming from her disposable cup. Slowly she sipped her hot cocoa silently, enjoying the chocolatey taste and allowing it to raise her mood ever so slightly.

"Over here." Grimmjow stated as they turned a corner to the center of Rockefeller Center.

"Wow!" Orihime said in awe as the giant Christmas tree, set in the very center of the square and standing as the main attraction, came into view. Even Haruka's mouth fell open at the sight of it.

"It's beautiful." She remarked.

"Finish your cocoa." Grimmjow urged to her. "I'll be right back."

"W-what?" Haruka asked dumbfounded.

"Hey, Grimmjow!" Ichigo attempted.

"Just stay there, asshole." He returned.

"He's not usually this nice." Orihime pointed out.

"Just not in front of you guys." Haruka smiled to herself as she took another heaping sip.

"Haruka gets special treatment." Ichigo teased as he elbowed her in the side. "All she's gotta do is sulk a little bit."

"Hey!" Haruka smacked at his elbow. "I really am bummed out about those tickets."

A moment later Grimmjow was returning with four sets of skates over his shoulder. "You serious, Grimmjow?" Ichigo looked at him incredulously.

"What's the matter, Kurosaki? Afraid you're going to fall on your ass?" Grimmjow chuckled as he handed the skates out to everyone.

"Hey! I bet I could skate better than you!" Ichigo accused.

Grimmjow grinned. "We'll see."

"Ice skating? I haven't done that in ages." Haruka mentioned with a smile. She gulped down the rest of her drink before eagerly putting on the skates. Orihime followed and soon all four were on the rink that was set right below the tree. Haruka took to it quickly, the movements coming back to her from the last time she had many years prior. Orihime stumbled a little, but eventually found her footing. Grimmjow slid around like it was in his very nature to do so. And Ichigo… well Ichigo just couldn't find his footing.

Grimmjow bellowed out in laughter as poor Ichigo tumbled again and again. He clung to the wall as skaters passed him by. "Kurosaki can't skate for shit!"

"Screw you, Grimmjow!"

Haruka rolled her eyes, though did let a small smile pull at her lips. Grimmjow moved up beside her and held out his arm for her to take. She did, and the two moved fluidly along the ice as if they had done this a thousand times before. Orihime paused near Ichigo, outstretching her own arm to help him stay steady.

"Where did you learn how to skate?" Haruka asked coyly.

"I'm just a natural." He answered.

"Tch, you say that for everything." She laughed.

"Guess I'm a natural for everything." He teased. She tugged on his arm a bit so she could be flush against him as they went.

After about a half hour or so, the group returned their skates and reconvened. "So should we just go back to the hotel?" Haruka asked, a tinge of disappointment still on her voice.

"Nah, I got a better idea." Grimmjow said as he looked up. "Follow me."

"It better be good." Ichigo grumbled.

"You don't have to come, Kurosaki." Grimmjow shrugged as he guided the group to the nearby building and purchased some tickets. Soon they were riding the elevator up…and up and up and up until they were at the very top. The doors opened and revealed the roof surrounded by a glass wall.

"That view!" Haruka exclaimed as she got closer to the edge. They could see below, the rows and rows of buildings, each with their lights illuminating the streets. In addition, colorful holiday lights shone brightly throughout the city, adding to the festive mood. Snow flurries were still gently coming down, and painting the horizon in a snowy globe that cut the city off from the rest of the world. There was music playing from the square and crowds of people moving along the sidewalks dressed in holiday wares. There were presents and garland, wreaths and bows, bells jingling and horses trotting… It was unlike anything Haruka had ever seen.

As she stood there, face against the glass, Grimmjow snuck up behind her. He placed his coat on her back before sliding his arms around her shoulders and lowering his head near her ear. "I know it ain't the show you wanted, but still kind of looks cool." He mentioned.

"It's better than my plans." She smiled as her gloved fingers grasped his arm and held him tight. "You should do our travel plans from now on." She smirked while twisting her head to meet his gaze.

"You wouldn't like my plans." He refuted.

"Oh please. You have good ideas. You just have to put some effort into it." She accused playfully.

"Meh. Maybe I can try a little harder." He conceded.

"I've got an idea on what we can do next." Haruka offered, her tone light as she spun in his arms.

"I'm listening."

Unexpectedly, she pressed her lips to his, her tongue greedily probing against his. She drew it out, lips remaining entangled for almost a minute before she finally broke away. "Hotel?"

"Don't even have to ask, Kitten." He said on a grin before picking her up. "See you in the mornin' Kurosaki!" Grimmjow yelled to the couple who had migrated down to a different section of the crowd. A few curious stares and glares followed them, but neither cared at all.

"What!? Hey!" Ichigo shouted before he and Orihime followed. "What about dinner?"

"Take Orihime-chan somewhere nice!" Haruka yelled back on a laugh. "We're getting room service!"


	10. Spa Day

_ /*Hi all! I've finally found the time to get this one done. I've got a few more in the works too so hopefully more to come soon. Just a couple of warnings, this is a lemon so it is filled with dirty smut, if that's not your thing or you shouldn't be reading it, please move on to other things as this one won't be for you. Also it's kind of cliche/cheesy, but I need a little bit of that in my life (and the only reason I know anything about a spa is from a coworker describing it in detail. One day I'll get to go myself!). Enjoy! */_

* * *

Spa Day -

It was quiet. The silence was only broken by the few scribbles of pen against paper and the soft snores coming from the two mod souls tangled together on the couch. "There! I think that's everything." Haruka said softly to herself as she placed the pen down.

She had spent almost a week secretly planning everything as perfectly as she could. She had managed to get Urahara on board with keeping her secret weekend away hidden and let Grimmjow have a few days off. She also managed to get a few days off for herself for the first time in ages. Then came all the meticulous planning and preparations.

And this would be the last attempt she'd make at it.

She had a mental list of dating failures stored in the back of her mind that she accessed everytime she got the slightest urge to do something 'fun' with her Espada. A visit to the movie theater had turned into the man slumped lazily over the seat while taking a nap during the most explosive scenes. A romantic dinner for two was filled with nothing but complaints about the 'stench' filling the luxurious restaurant. Oh and the latest attempt, one which she had thought was genius, ended up in him attempting to climb into a ring to show that "cheating son of a bitch how to fight a real man." Apparently he acted the same way at an actual kick boxing event that he did when he watched it on the TV. Who knew?

All of these cringe worthy date nights had left Haruka feeling cold and annoyed. While she could very well acknowledge his capabilities between the sheets, it was the process leading up to that event that lacked tremendously.

She sighed heavily while pressing her fingers to her temples. "If this doesn't work, nothing will." With that, she pushed herself to a stand and went up to their bedroom to begin packing enough for a long weekend.

When she was satisfied enough with her packing, she zipped up the suitcase and dragged it down the steps near the door. Only moments later she was hearing his motorcycle race down their street. The garage door creaked and groaned as it opened, the loud revving of the engine muting it for a moment before the bike was shut off.

She raced to the kitchen, pulling out her cookware and prepping up a quick meal to look less suspicious. "Hey." His familiar leisurely tone was comforting and lifted any lingering lonely sensations.

"Hey." She smiled wide, a tinge of excitement running along her spine. "Did you have a good day?"

"Meh, it was alright." He mentioned as he hung up his gear and helmet in the nearby closet. "You?"

"It was fine." She mentioned casually while setting a pot of water on the stove.

"Mister-sama!"

"Master-sama!"

The two mod souls greeted him, being fully awakened from their nap. Crey jumped up into Grimmjow's arms as Mimi circled his legs enthusiastically.

"Yea, yea." He grumbled. "This ain't new."

"We are just so happy to see you!" Mimi barked as Crey snuggled against Grimmjow's chest. He rolled his eyes before finding a seat at the kitchen counter, his eyes on Haruka.

"They are growing on you." She accused on a smirk.

He shot her a glare before patting Crey on the head. "It ain't like I can kill 'em or anything." He refuted back.

Haruka snorted, his extreme comparison amusing her. "I have a surprise for you." She teased.

His eyebrows raised suspiciously. "I don't want it." He said before placing Crey back on the floor. It took Mimi less than two seconds to tackle him, the two rolling out the kitchen door and into the hallway.

"Well you don't have a choice." Haruka stated plainly. "And frankly you should be a little more grateful I go to the trouble at all."

"I don't have to be grateful for something I don't ask for." He argued.

"Can you just try to be a decent human being for once?" She snapped.

"I ain't human." He stated pointedly.

Haruka growled. "Just for once I would like us to have a nice weekend away where we can just focus on us."

"We already focus on us, all the time. In fact, if you wanna focus on us, there's a bedroom right upstairs. Hell, we don't need a bedroom, I'll fuck you right here on the counter." He said crudely.

"It's not always about sex, Grimmjow." She said as she pointed her knife at him, unintentionally of course.

He grasped the knife with his hand and pulled it to the side. "What is it about then? Because this whole cheesy date night idea you got from Kurosaki's girl hasn't really worked out in your favor so far."

"It hasn't worked out in my favor because you are an asshole!" She yelled.

"And?" He pushed.

"AND all I'm asking is for one weekend you just try and enjoy yourself. Please for my sake. There is more to having fun than beating people up, riding your motorcycle, and having sex."

Silence followed as a purple glare met with a pair of skeptical blue orbs. After what felt like ages, he relented. "Fine. I'll play along with your 'date night' bullshit. But I better get something good out of it this time. Last time you made me sleep on the fucking couch." He huffed.

"That's because you almost beat the shit out of a famous kick boxer!" She nearly screamed. "I can't. If you can't enjoy this spa weekend, then I'm just going to enjoy it by myself. I need a weekend to relax." She rationalized.

"Spa weekend?" The words stuck to the roof of his mouth.

"Yes, a couples spa in the mountains. We are leaving first thing in the morning. Here's your dinner." The plate clanked against the counter as she dropped it in front of him. Then she left the kitchen.

"I better be getting one hell of a weekend." He grumbled to himself before taking a bite.

* * *

The drive was nearly excruciating. It took several hours to reach the quiet isolated spa in a small valley between the mountains, but as soon as the elegant building came into view, all of Haruka's reservations left. Grimmjow, however, was not very impressed.

The two had argued back and forth for most of the ride. Haruka was still sour at how ungrateful the bastard was being and Grimmjow just didn't see the point. There was only one thing Haruka could think that would change his mind and that was the pampering. Grimmjow _loved_ to be pampered despite how much he argued the opposite.

"We're here!" She said excitedly as they pulled into the parking lot.

"Fantastic." Grimmjow mocked.

"Come on! Let's check into our room. I have the whole day planned."

Grimmjow begrudgingly followed, volunteering to carry the luggage if only because he promised he'd put in an effort. They were greeted by the front desk concierge who graciously took their luggage to their room for them so they could get right into their relaxation routine.

First was their appointment with the masseuse. "So what the fuck is this?" He asked as they were told to get undressed.

"It's a massage. We lie on the table and the masseuse works out all the tension in our muscles. It's supposed to help us relax."

"I don't like being touched." He grumbled.

"Liar." She teased as she stripped in front of him, gaining his full attention for a moment before she wrapped herself up in a towel.

"I only like being touched by you." He clarified.

"Oh stop being a baby. I promise this is better than any massage I ever gave you." She smiled as she began unbuttoning his pants. That, at least, he was not opposed to. She pulled on them until they fell to his ankles, following with his undershorts. She took a brief discrete moment to appreciate his features before wrapping a towel around his waist.

"It better be." He snapped, clearly disappointed he got nothing more than a quick look.

When they were both ready, they moved to the next room where they were being instructed to lie face down on the tables. Haruka heard a few disgruntled mumbles from the table next to her, but chose to ignore it. She rested her head against her arms and sighed before letting her eyelids fall. Soon after she began feeling the careful, but firm touch along her skin. Little by little, the trained fingers worked each muscle loose, easing away tension and nearly causing a groan to escape the back of her throat. "You certainly are tense." The masseuse mentioned as she dug in hard to a knot on Haruka's upper back. "Do you have a stressful job?"

"You might say that." Haruka mumbled out before opening one eye to glance at her companion. The masseuse followed her gaze and chuckled discreetly before continuing her massage.

The next table over, the giant scary panther had been kneaded into a mewling pussy cat. The masseuse tasked with that feral beast had grown amused as a sound similar to purring had started filtering from between his lips. "He does that." Haruka commented.

Grimmjow barely acknowledged them, too involved in his own relaxation to care.

"Don't worry. I've heard a whole host of different noises come from people I massage. This is tame compared to some." The masseuse laughed.

Silence followed as the relaxation continued. After their muscles were worked free, various therapies followed. Stones, large round and smooth, were placed on predetermined pressure points; facial massages and masks, and even a foot bath were all provided. When that was all completed, they were brought to the sauna. "We recommend you stay here for at least a half hour to gain all the benefits to the steam. Please save any couple fun time for the private springs later." Haruka's masseuse explained with a wink before opening the door. "Enjoy."

Grimmjow's nose wrinkled. "What the fuck they doing to us? Preparing us as a meal?"

Haruka giggled. "The steam is supposed to help relax your muscles and release endorphins."

"Humans would relax in a stinky steam house." He scoffed before finding a seat against the wall. The room was small, designed for just two people. Haruka sat across from him, leaning back and sighing. Her violet purple locks trickled down her shoulders, sticking to the wet perspiration forming there. Her eyes glanced up at his, catching his intense stare. A small smirk tugged at the corner of her lip as she lifted her shoulder slowly and caused the towel to fall slightly.

His brow wrinkled as he watched, his eyes caught at the top line of the towel as it moved lower on her skin. She continued to tease him discreetly, pretending she didn't notice as the tops of her breasts spilled from the cloth. The pink of her areolas were just barely visible to his greedy stare.

Haruka glanced at his waistline, her eyes traveling to the newly formed bulge beneath the thin barrier around his waist. She pushed him further, crossing her legs so the towel would open up where the ends met and revealed a long line of smooth skin all the way to her hip. Grimmjow swallowed, the heat of the sauna seemingly intensifying the heat currently aggravating between his legs.

"You're asking for trouble." He nearly growled, but it wasn't out of anger. It was out of sheer unbearable effort to keep in control.

"Me? I'm not doing anything." Haruka replied innocently. She shifted again and again the towel fell further, this time revealing one pert nipple eager for attention.

His control snapped. He moved before she could even voice a protest, his lips finding the pert bud and sucking hard. She gasped, enjoying the sensation for a moment before pulling back. "We aren't supposed to!" She hissed.

"Says the fucking tease." He replied. His lips crashed against hers as he tugged her towel from her hold. She knew he hated being teased. He was impatient and anything he couldn't have right away was excruciating to him. But she also suspected that deep down he loved it.

His calloused hands continued to massage her breasts, fingers tugging and twisting the hard buds and gaining throaty mewls from her. "You are going to get us in trouble and kicked out!" She tried, but he completely ignored her protests. His knee slipped between her legs, pushing them apart and feeling the curls of hair at the apex of her thighs. He pressed harder, creating friction against her most sensitive place.

Haruka swallowed the moan that attempted to rip free from her throat. Her fingernails dug into the skin of his forearm as she continued to struggle against the sensations. Just when she thought she was about to give in, a knock interrupted their foreplay.

"Ok, you two. Time is up." The masseuse from the other side of the door called out.

Haruka panicked. She wriggled her way out of his grasp as he glared at the door. "Coming!" Haruka said hurriedly as she adjusted her towel. Grimmjow adjusted himself with one quick movement and was then following her out of the sauna.

"You may enjoy the amenities of the spa to your liking or you may head back to your room. Your private spring has already been prepared. Just head out the sliding glass door in your bedroom." The masseuse waved haphazardly, obviously reading Haruka's awkward stance.

"I-uh- thank you very much! This was very nice." She stammered out.

"If you have any questions you can call the concierge and they will forward you to one of our spa team members. Enjoy your stay." The masseuse stated before making her way to hwe next appointment.

"What do you say? Want to check it out?" Haruka asked. His stomach answered for him. A loud growl echoed out for all to hear. "Maybe we should get dinner first." She mentioned.

"Dinner can wait." He insisted.

"Come on grumpy. Let's go get changed and we can stop at the restaurant before we head back." Haruka soothed as she intertwined her fingers with his.

"Sure, what's another hour of blue-balling me." He snarled sarcastically.

"I'll make it up to you." She cooed.

He raised a brow, skeptical. "Alright, Kitten. Make it up to me."

Haruka smiled deviously before leading them back to the changing room. With their casual clothes on, they found the restaurant. Grimmjow sat with a scowl as they waited for their order. "Stop pouting." Haruka scolded.

"I ain't pouting." He grumbled as he poked a piece of bread with his fork.

"Grimmjow." She said gently as her hand fell to his. His eyes lifted to meet hers. "Thank you for doing this with me."

His face softened and his fork was tossed aside so that his hand could hold hers. "It wasn't so bad." He shrugged and she smiled.

"You were purring." She accused lightly.

"I wasn't purring." He refuted. "I don't purr."

Haruka laughed. "I disagree. I can make you purr."

"Oh? I'll take that bet." He said with amusement.

"What do I get if I win?" She asked.

"What do you want, Kitten?"

"You plan the next date night." Her devious little grin sent goosebumps along his skin.

"Tch. Sure. You ain't going to win anyway." He smirked as he sat back in his chair, their food finally arriving.

"Uh huh." Haruka replied.

After they finished their meal, they made their way back to the room. "This is amazing." Haruka said in awe as she meandered to each piece of furniture. Eventually she found her way to the sliding glass door that led to the private spring. "Oh wow!" She slid the door open and revealed the quiet little outdoor oasis. Steam lingered above the natural hot spring that was carved into the stone. It was surrounded by wooden fencing that blocked out the outside world. A final little touch was a bottle of champagne and two glasses set strategically next to it.

"I'll be right back." She mentioned as she made her way to the bathroom. "Go get comfortable."

Grimmjow bit back his retort, but not without making a face. "Relax in a pool of piss-warm water, sure." He said after the bathroom door shut. Despite the annoyances, he walked out into the cool mountain air and picked up one of the glasses. He ripped the cork from the bottle with his teeth, spit the cork out, and poured the bubbling liquid in his glass, downing it in a single gulp before pouring another.

"Don't drink it all." A commanding tone called from the doorway. He turned, the glass nearly slipping from his hand as his eyes combed over a sultry looking woman leaning against the door frame. One arm was draped above her head against the door and the other was pressed firmly against her hip. Her legs were crossed and head tilted slightly. The thin silky fabric of a provided robe rested on her upper thigh, allowing for his greedy stare to lap up the soft curves of her legs. The robe draped over her shoulders and was tied neatly around her waist. It was left open on her chest, her cleavage on display for his hungry gaze. The cold air brushed against her skin, causing goosebumps to erupt along her flesh and for two hardened buds to press against the thin silky fabric.

She pushed herself off the frame and walked towards him. Her hips swayed dramatically, her ample assets bouncing as she went. When she reached him, she grasped the bottle from his grip and took his glass. She poured herself a full glass of bubbling liquid. Her eyes lifted, teasing him with just a look before draining the glass.

"Kitten…" He whispered as his hands lifted to her hips. She blocked his grasp with the champagne bottle and twisted away from him.

"Ah ah ah, not yet." She sang. She strutted around the spring, gently placing down the glass and bottle before arriving at the head of the spring opposite him. Her violet gaze locked onto his desire-filled stare as her hand moved to the tie at her waist. Agonizingly slowly she pulled at the bow knot. The moment it came undone, she turned so that her back faced him. She could hear his frustration in the way he breathed. His hands practically shook with constrained eagerness. Unintentionally, he licked at dry lips.

Ever so slowly she let the robe fall down her back. Each breath of skin revealed had him twitching. She was half shocked he hadn't pounced on her yet, but then again she always did have that suspicion that he loved to be teased.

The robe paused at her hip, the sleeves crumpled at her elbows, and then her head tilted so her chin brushed against her shoulder and he could see the delicate curves of her face. "You getting in or what?" She asked with a smirk.

He didn't even answer. Within a second, his clothes were hitting the rocky ground and he was waist deep in bubbling hot water. He had hardly cared at this point. His mind was on one thing only.

Her smile widened as she let her left arm go limp so the robe could ease off. The silky fabric brushed against her calves as it cascaded down to her ankles. She heard him groan as each delicious curve was revealed.

"Get in here, Kitten." He ordered, his voice strained.

With impossible patience, she turned; her entire nudity was finally revealed to him. Slowly she dipped her toes into the steaming liquid. And the shark finally struck.

His hand shot out from the spring just where her toes penetrated the calm surface. He grasped her ankle and pulled, causing her to tumble into his hold. She responded immediately, her hands wrapping around his wrists and pinning them to the sides of the spring. "No." She said firmly, in which he actually allowed, intrigued by this new dominance from her. "Have some patience."

He growled low in his throat, but relented. He leaned back against the rocks, his arms propping up on the ledge and allowing her to continue her plans. She could feel the heat emanating from just below his waist causing the water to actually have a chill in comparison. Her grip on his wrists loosened and soft finger touches ran along his arms and up to his shoulders. Gently her lips pressed against his neck, her tongue tasting the saltiness on his skin as she went.

He swallowed hard as his hands fisted. "Ruka…" He nearly gasped. Her light touches were driving him mad.

Her hands slid along his chest, dipping below the water as they went. Her mouth continued to travel along his neck and down his shoulder. Just has her fingers wrapped around his seething heat, her teeth sunk into the flesh of his shoulder. He hissed as his hand found her hair and tugged. She smiled deviously. His lips crashed against hers, tongues entangling and teeth biting.

She shifted onto his lap while breaking away from his kiss. "Control yourself, _Espada_." She teased as she ground her hips against him.

His head tilted back as he released her once again. His hands grasped the solid stone around the spring as her sex pressed against his searing heat. She ground her hips, sliding along it and pulling a grunt from his throat. "Kitten...fuck…" Her lips found his neck again, pressing lightly where his pulse throbbed. Finally, she heard that soft little purr echoing from his throat.

"I win." Her voice teased as her lips pressed against his ear.

He snarled, the last of his control slipping away. His hands grabbed her hips and lifted. "Now it's my turn to make you scream." He shifted her so that she was bent over the side of the spring. His one large fist pinned both her wrists to the ground as he lined his solid shaft at her entrance with the other. He thrusted hard, burying deep inside her in one motion and drawing out a long winded moan from both of their lips.

Haruka couldn't find the words, her voice reserved for those blissful pleasure-filled noises he managed to evoke. His fist released her wrists and settled roughly on her hips, his fingers digging in with bruising force. She was pinned against the rocks of the spring, the cool touch of stone a stark contrast to the heat of him thrusting in and out of her. Water sloshed, skin collided, and Haruka buried screams of ecstasy into the crook of her arm.

"Grimmjow! You fucking brute!" She snarled.

He paused in his unbearable pace, thrusting hard as his arms wrapped around her and pulled her up so his teeth could sink into the fleshy part of her shoulder. "You crave it." He accused as his tongue teased where he had just bitten. He held her flush against him while listening to her racing pulse.

"Maybe. But this time you should let me have a turn." She suggested. His brow quirked as he released her, his throbbing heat slipping from inside her as she turned and faced him. Her hands moved to either side of his face, her lips traveling up to his and whispering a commanding "sit" before pushing him down. She straddled him as her fingers dug into his hair and her lips pressed against his. Sensually, her tongue pushed passed his lips to tangle with his. A quiet little moan broke from his throat and sent shivers down her spine.

She lined herself with him, fully sheathing him effortlessly. She moved slowly, easing herself off him and sliding back down in an easy rhythm. His hands slid along her back, desperate to just touch her. Their battle of tongues ensued as the kiss grew more frantic, all tongue and teeth.

Her pace quickened as he broke his lips free. His mouth travelled down until it found those pert little buds bouncing lewdly. His lips encircled one gently, his tongue massaging it. Haruka's head tilted back and moaned into the sky. Hips crashed together hard, the friction building heat into a storm.

Grimmjow did his best not to take control. Hell there was something erotic about his woman taking what she wanted from him. He let one flat palm rest against her back while the other travelled down and stopped at her hip. His fingers slid forward, his thumb moving to where their hips joined to press against that small hardened nub at the apex of her thighs. A gasp tore from her as her fingernails dug deep into his shoulders.

"Oh yes." She moaned as her hips slammed against his, feeling him fill her. The pleasure coiling in her abdomen finally exploded. She could feel as her muscles spasmed and clamped down around his cock, begging him to follow. Waves of electric pleasure tingled along each nerve causing toes to curl and uncontrollable groans to escape her throat. Liquid heat turned her muscles to jelly and her lover followed suit. She felt as his body tensed, a rock hard sensation filling her sex before searing liquid heat replaced it.

She slumped forward, her forehead pressing against his. His arms reached around her and pulled her closer. Soft, tender kisses were pressed against her skin as she worked to calm her racing breath.

After a while, she sighed and nuzzled into his neck. His eyes lifted to the stars that were beginning to dot the sky above, silence surrounding them in a blanket of comfort. The air was chilled, but nearly unnoticeable with the warmth of the spring and his Shinigami on his lap. "I like this place." He admitted. His voice was low and content. He felt her smile against his neck.

"Me too." she said quietly, her voice hoarse from the aftereffects.

His fingers ran up and down her spine, taking trickles of warm spring water with them. "Rest a bit. You'll need it for my turn." He teased.

A shiver of excitement ran over her skin. She lifted her head so that molten violet gaze could meet his half-lidded lusty stare. "Challenge accepted."


	11. Frozen in Time

_/* Hi All! Just dropping in to add this chilly one shot for the Winter season (though I have to say I've lucked out so far in my locale as winter has been warmer than usual so far). This is kind of angst-y and has very slight fluff. I'm also working on a Crey/Mimi one shot as requested, but I'm having a hard time trying to find the time! Will try to get it out as soon as I can. I don't think I'll have time to write a Valentine's Day OS (sorry!), but hopefully I'll have something to post for the third installment soon. Thanks for the continued support! Hope you enjoy. */ _

* * *

Frozen In Time -

It was cold.

Bitter cold.

It wasn't just cold. It was the feeling of a frozen blanket pressed against her skin. It was the sound of the wind howling around her. Where was she?

Her eyes barely opened, feeling stuck as if in an old dream. Everything was hazy and unstable. It took several moments, but finally she realized she was face down in the snow. She wasn't wearing any protective layers. Her hands and face were completely exposed to the brutal elements. "What happened?" She whispered as her eyes finally adjusted to her surroundings. There were trees everywhere. Snow covered trees being buried even more in the heavy snow falling from the gray clouds above. It was silent except for the almost nonexistent patter of flakes hitting the ground.

She sat on her haunches while rubbing her hands together. Her face felt numb where it had been buried in snow. Judging by the rate of snowfall, she hadn't been there for very long. She would have been buried by now. "Kenji?"

* * *

_There_. He heard it. Her voice. It wasn't far, but it was damn near impossible to move with any urgency being trapped in this damn gigai. "And with a fucking seal to boot." He snarled as he glanced at the seal on his wrist once more. He had no idea how the hell he got where he was, and worse, he had no inkling of how to get out of it either. His senses were completely cut off. Any ability he had as an Espada had been buried beneath this ridiculous seal. "When I find the bastard who did this…"

"Kenji!"

There it was again. Her voice. But it was calling the wrong name. It caused more worry than relief and he found himself running through the deep snow, pushing his gigai beyond what it was capable, just to find her.

Eventually he stumbled out from behind a large tree and nearly crushed the nervous looking ex-Shinigami. "Who are you!?" She shrieked as she backed away.

He tilted his head, confusion marring his features. "You're joking." He said matter-of-factly.

"What?" She questioned, her voice appalled at the slightest suggestion she was making light of this situation. "I asked you who you are."

"I know." He snapped back. "I ain't deaf."

"Then answer me!" She demanded. Again he looked at her with genuine concern.

"You really don't know who I am?" He asked and he could see he startled her.

She stared at him for several moments, the wheels in her head turning, but reaching a road block. "You look familiar…" She began. "Ouch." Her hand immediately reached up to touch a newly formed mark on her brow.

He approached her quickly, his fingers sliding away purple locks to see this mark that looked very much like the one on his wrist. She jerked away from his touch, suspicion twisting her face.

"Ruka…" He began, not really knowing where to start.

"My name isn't Ruka. It's Akyama-san to you." She spat angrily, a fire showing itself that he hadn't seen in a very long time.

His jaw clenched as his eyes travelled to their surroundings. There was nothing as far as he could tell; only trees and snow. Perhaps if the blizzard would end, he could find the way out, but as it was now, he could barely see a few feet in front of his face.

"We have to find shelter." He stated plainly.

"I'm not going anywhere until I know what's going on here." She refuted on trembling lips. Her whole body was shaking at this point. She was freezing.

He had little to offer in regards to clothing. He was also wearing a single layer, like he had been inside their home, snuggled in bed and away from the bitter winter cold. "I know about just as much as you, Kitten." He replied. "You're shaking. We can talk it out when we find someplace warm."

Her face softened a little, seemingly ignoring the pet name, though she still remained stubborn. "I can't leave here without Kenji." She said again and again his heart squeezed in his chest. There was no doubt in his mind that the seal on her head was keeping her recent memories blocked. But that would only mean he would have to break the news to her…

"You ain't finding anything if you're frozen to death." He attempted again.

"He's probably looking for me. I can't just leave." She insisted while looking around again.

"Ruka, he's not here." He ground out, trying with all his might to contain his temper.

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Because that's who you are." He growled. "To me, you ain't _Akiyama-san_; you ain't Haruka-_chan_. You're Ruka, my Ruka. Now fucking come with me before I carry your ass."

Haruka stood there shocked. Disbelief and cautiousness outlined her posture. "Your Ruka?" She whispered. "And who might _you_ be?"

Grimmjow paused realizing he probably said too much. "Look. You got a seal on your forehead." He stated simply as he pointed to the shining mark. "It's like mine." He lifted his wrist to show her. "I can't use any of my Arrancar abilities, and yours is probably burying your memories."

"Arrancar? You're an Arrancar? You're one of Aizen-sama's?" She gasped.

His brow twitched. "Aizen ain't around anymore either."

She swallowed, sensing the pure hatred and distaste he had for the Captain she revered. She also sensed she was in quite a bit of danger. And she was just so cold. "Alright. I'll go with you." She relented. "But when we find somewhere safe, I want answers."

"Yea, sure." He waved her off before grabbing her wrist and tugging her through the snow banks. "Looks like this might have been a path. A lot of the trees are cleared out in a line." He explained as he walked.

She didn't respond. She followed with a blank stare, her mind obviously caught in a whirlwind of confusion and heartache. "What happened to Aizen-sama?" She asked finally.

"Stop calling him that." He ordered angrily.

"Why?" She continued, her voice literally shaking from the cold.

"Because after everything he did to you, the only proper title for him is asshole." He answered simply.

"I don't understand." She replied angrily. "None of this makes sense. Aizen-sama was helping me cure Kenji. How long have I been in this forest? What happened to Kenji? Where is Aizen-sama!?"

"There!" He said abruptly. In the distance, a small structure was outlined beyond the trees. "Looks like a cabin."

Haruka's face fell, disappointment and worry drowning her.

They trudged through the heavy snow, finally getting inside the small abandoned cabin. There was no heat, but at least they were out of the snow and wind. Haruka stood in the tiny living room while Grimmjow ransacked each room, attempting to find anything to get them warmed up. "We can burn some of this furniture in the fireplace." He said as he brought in old wooden chairs and a table. "Gotta find something to start the fire with." He mumbled to himself as he continued to search.

Haruka remained, her whole body trembling. "So cold…" She whispered. Her breath curled in front of her in the form of an icy fog.

When he came back to the room again, he realized she was still standing there, frozen in place and ghostly white. He quickly placed the old dusty blanket down that he had found and approached her. "Ruka?"

Her face turned slightly so that her pale purple eyes could meet his. Her lips were tinted blue. She had been out in the cold too long.

"Fuck." He growled as he began pulling soaked articles of clothing from her skin. "You're freezing to death."

She attempted to fight him off, but was finding it hard to find the motivation. When he managed to get her down to her undergarments, he threw the tattered blanket around her shoulders and guided her near the old stone fireplace. He began breaking apart the wooden furniture and tossing them in. He gathered some scraps of paper lying around and used them as tinder to get the fire started. Luckily for him, he managed to come upon a few matches in the kitchen.

"Why are you helping me?" She asked suddenly. Her eyes had been locked on him the entire time, watching the hurried way he moved, analyzing the worried wrinkle in his brow, and questioning his motives.

He didn't look at her. His icy blue stare remained on his task. "Why not?"

"Because if you really are an Arrancar and one that hates Aizen-sama, then you wouldn't be helping one of his underlings; and a Shinigami to boot." Her skepticism was turning to hate, and he could feel it with each word that assaulted his ears.

He knew he had to answer as truthfully as possible, less she think even worse of him. That, for whatever reason, would be a result worse than death. "Because I love you." He replied simply, his eyes leaving the fire for only a second to lock onto her surprised expression.

"I-I'm sorry?" She questioned, the hate in her voice leaving and only utter confusion remaining.

"Because I love you." He said again as he stood up. "And because you're not a Shinigami anymore and I'm not an Espada anymore. Because you don't idolize Aizen anymore and you don't hate life anymore. Because you love me too and I would never let a damn thing happen to you if I can help it." He paused long enough to read her face, a lost longing face, but one with a hint of warmth and recollection. "I'm helping you because I can't be me without you anymore. So as soon as this blizzard is over, we are going to find who the fuck is responsible for doing this to us and are going to get it reversed."

She looked at him, locking gazes and with tears glassing over her eyes, she responded, "I don't remember you."

It felt as if his heart had literally shattered. He had to look away, the crushing feeling literally taking his breath away. He took several steps back, distancing himself from her.

"I'm sorry, but I'm in love with someone else. I don't know what you think is between us, but I wouldn't betray Kenji. I'd never betray him."

He nodded, barely able to voice a response. He pointed to the floor in front of the fireplace. "Sit by the fire. You need to warm up."

"So do you." She pointed out. His body was equally pale, his lips blue and chattering. "You're clothes are just as soaked."

He looked down at himself. He was so preoccupied with getting her warm that he hadn't realized the condition of his own gigai. His limbs were numb and what feeling he did have was extremely painful. He pulled his soaked shirt over his head and tossed it over the old crumpling couch. He did the same with his pants and then sat in front of the fire next to her.

He didn't look at her; didn't touch her. He felt completely rejected despite it being from her distorted memories. He had no idea what to do.

He was so lost in his thoughts that it surprised him when scratchy fabric was sliding across his nude flesh. He grasped her wrist, stopping her midway. "You need it more than I do." She rationalized.

"I ain't taking your blanket." He returned while shrugging it off.

"Relax. I'm a member of Squad 4. I can reverse any necrosis or hyperthermia this gigai gets." She smiled reassuringly. More pain showed in his eyes and Haruka frowned. "How about we share it?" She offered. "Just no funny business."

"There ain't nothing funny about any of this." He said, his voice utterly broken.

She ignored his answer and propped the blanket around his shoulders. Then she sat in front of him, her back pressed against his chest. His arms wrapped around her front and pulled the blanket around them both. "We'll warm up faster this way." She mentioned rationally, though her whole body was tense and apprehensive at his proximity.

He couldn't help himself. He lowered his face so that his lips were near her ear and tightened his hold on her. They remained like that for several long minutes before he finally spoke again. "You work at a hospital in the emergency department for an asshole named Ishida. You love it there. You like to play chess with his son.

"You're friends with a guy who almost killed me and who managed to end Aizen's reign of terror on the entire three worlds, Ichigo Kurosaki. You're friends with his girl too, Inoue Orihime. You live in the World of the Living with me. You were taken in by a sneaky ex-Shinigami who wears clogs. He took care of you and gave you a second chance. He brought me to you where you gave me a second chance. Together, we broke the seal on Dairokkan and you two eventually merged into a single being.

"We went back to Hueco Mundo and beat the shit out of an asshole ex-Espada trying to destroy everything. We came back to the World of the Living, bought a farmhouse, and are living our lives together. You like planting in the garden and sitting in the grass at night in the middle of summer to look out at all the stars. You sing when you cook and don't even realize it. You love the feel of the first warm breeze in spring and the first cool one in the fall.

"I always know when something is bothering you by that one wrinkle above your eye. I love to tease you because it drives you crazy. I love the sound of your laugh. I love the feel of you in my arms at night. I never want to be without you…"

He could feel the wetness that had started dripping on his arms. Quiet sniffling filled the silence following. She relaxed against him, though refused to show him her face, filled with too much shame. Her gaze remained locked on the dancing flames in front of them.

"You fled to the World of the Living after you killed Kenji." He felt her tense up in shock, but continued regardless. "He had turned into a hollow. Aizen turned him into a hollow to coax you and other Shinigami to join him on a false crusade to save sickened Shinigami. Satomi and Haru tracked you down and attacked you because they didn't know all the details. You put them in their place, but Haru was too far gone. He was arrested by the Shinigami. Satomi saw the light in the end and is living in Soul Society doing who knows what. You light a candle every year on the anniversary of his death and say a prayer. It took several years, but you don't cry anymore on that day. You don't blame yourself anymore." He whispered. He could feel her fingernails digging into his forearm as sobs quietly racked her body.

"Grimmjow…" She whispered and absolute relief overcame him. He nodded against her shoulder, unable to speak. The sensation stuck in his throat, making it hard to breath and impossible to swallow. He clenched his jaw tightly, fighting the mass mixture of emotions that were trying to consume him in that moment. "It hurts…"

The emotional storm was immediately pushed away as his brow creased with worry at her statement. He shifted around to her front, only then realizing the liquid dripping onto his arm was not just tears, but also bright red blood. "Ruka, you're bleeding." He said as he moved stained purple locks out of her face. The mark on her forehead was bright and hot, scalding to the touch. Blood trickled down from the imprinted mark. Quickly he grabbed his shirt and ripped pieces to fashion a bandage.

She hissed as he pressed the cold cloth to the wound, attempting to get the bleeding to stop. He used the remaining strips to tie the bandage in place. "You taught me how to do this." He mentioned lightly. "I used to just let wounds fester."

She half laughed. "I know." She replied as her fingers slid along some old scarring on his chest. "It feels so strange. In my head I know who you are, but I still feel like I'm stuck in the past. I feel like I had just seen him yesterday." She attempted to explain as he finished bandaging her up.

"Give it time. It'll come back." He reassured. His fingers caressed her cheek lightly.

She smiled small before bringing the blanket around his shoulders once more and snuggling into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and enclosed the blanket tightly. He pressed his back against a nearby recliner near the flames and guided her to lean on him. Her head snuggled in the crook of his arm and her eyes grew tired as warmth finally started returning to her limbs. Her hand draped over his chest and she did her best to find comfort despite the overwhelming sense of loss and disorientation due to her blocked memories. It was coming back in pieces, but her head throbbed where the symbol remained. Every time she tried to recreate the timeline of events leading up to then, it would ache harder.

"Try to sleep, Kitten. We'll figure it out in the morning." His chest rumbled and she nodded. She closed her eyes and listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Soon she was drifting into blissful unconsciousness. He soon followed…

They both awoke startled. Haruka immediately shot up and pressed exploring fingers to her forehead. She found nothing. Grimmjow examined her equally, pushing away locks of hair and examining around her fingers.

"That was not a dream." She said concretely and with a bit of anger in her tone.

"No, it wasn't." Grimmjow agreed.

The two looked around briefly, remembering exactly where they were and why.

"Good morning!" A cheery voice called out as the door slid open. He was followed by his young helper who held out a tray with breakfast. "Urahara's Bed and Breakfast at your service."

"Urahara-san…" Haruka began, but was interrupted almost immediately.

"Everything seems to have gone smoothly, Akiyama-san. We didn't notice any oddities or side effects between your gigai and soul. Everything seems to be ship shape!" He announced. "You may return home when you are ready. If you notice anything out of sorts, please let me know."

He regarded them quickly before turning to leave. "Clogs! What the fuck did you do?" Grimmjow snarled.

Urahara snorted. "I did what you asked of me. I removed the constraints on the gigai and temporarily fused Akiyama-san to it until you two are satisfied with whatever family plans you have in store."

"Don't play stupid, Urahara-san." Haruka butted in before Grimmjow could make his scathing retort. "Grimmjow and I had a vision last night; a very real and very unsettling vision." She explained. "It was no coincidence."

"My, my." Urahara said with exasperation. He brought his fan to his lips as if to cover his faux shock. "That is strange. Well, I've never heard of any side effects like that." He acted, quite poorly however. "Perhaps it was merely a final test of faith before jumping into the horrid rollercoaster that is human life."

Haruka and Grimmjow both stared at him dumbfounded for a moment before they were able to compose themselves. "You honestly think we would believe you had nothing to do with this?" Haruka accused.

"Akiyama-san! I'm insulted! Why would I ever do something so sinister? I would have at least warned you first." Urahara chuckled.

"Unbelievable." She rolled her eyes and Grimmjow merely grimaced.

"Well, look at the bright side. You're still here." He replied simply. "I'll see you two around. Let me know if you need anything. Sayonara!" With that, the shopkeeper was gone.

"You don't actually believe that line of bullshit he's stringing along, right?" Grimmjow asked around a mouthful of rice.

"Of course not." Haruka replied as she reached out and grabbed her own bowl of soup. "But can you really expect anything else from him?"

Grimmjow's lip twitched. "No." They ate in silence for a few moments, both thinking on their strange experience. "Hey, Ruka, you got nothing to worry about." He said suddenly.

She looked over to him curiously. "I know." She smiled at him. "You, on the other hand, have your hands full." She laughed lightly.

"Yea, I know." He chuckled in agreement. "Wouldn't want it any other way."


	12. Garden

_*/Hi everyone. I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe in these challenging times. Thank you for all the comments and support. I'm happy to report that my family and I are all safe and are following our stay-at-home orders. I do live somewhere that has been heavily impacted by the virus and while I do work in healthcare, I am fortunate enough to work behind the scenes and not directly on the front lines. I do want to give my whole hearted thanks to all of those who work on the front lines during this pandemic including nurses, doctors, EMS, registration staff, housekeeping staff, and all onsite hospital and physician staff. You are invaluable to your patients and I hope you all are able to take care of yourselves physically and emotionally. My prayers go out to all those who have lost family members and friends and to those that are sick and struggling through recovery as well. There is a light at the end of this tunnel. _

_This is just a short little check-in one shot. I know I owe you all a Crey/Mimi one shot and I'm sad to say that I have not finished it yet. With everything going on, it's been hard to focus on writing between balancing work from home and balancing family. That and it just hasn't felt right in the middle of a pandemic. I know that sounds weird, but that's the only way I can really describe it. I did start work on another hobby of mine which is gardening and felt I could write a little something on that. So I know this is short and sweet, but hopefully can hold you guys over for a few more weeks until life starts getting back to a little bit of normal._

_Stay safe and stay well. */ _

* * *

Garden -

He could tell it had been a rough weekend for her. She had been called in both days, working full twelve hour shifts with little to no breaks. Finally, she was able to get a day off and this was how she was spending it, ankle deep in mud smashing a fork into the clay-like soil and raking it out nice and evenly.

"She don't even have her seeds yet…" He scoffed as he watched her from their kitchen window, waiting for the coffee to finish brewing.

In a way he hated it. He hated seeing what all that human death did to her spirit. He hated seeing her burying all her feelings into that garden. But deep down he knew that this is what she was. Even if she pretended to be apathetic, pretended that none of it mattered, he knew she needed to do _something._ Those clumsy hands and naive nature needed to tend to someone, something, even if it was just a tiny vegetable plant in the ground; or his horridly broken soul.

The beeping from the machine on the counter brought him out of his thoughts. He pulled a mug from the cabinet and filled it with the steaming black liquid she enjoyed so much. He put a splash of cream, just enough to turn the color a warm almond, and then made his way out the back door.

She didn't acknowledge him when he first appeared on the porch. She was too engrossed in tearing apart the soil to make life a little easier for the seeds she would plant there, their gentle roots needing something soft to push through.

It was when he stood right outside the mesh fencing that separated the garden from the rest of the world did she pause and look up at him. He outstretched the steaming cup to her and she smiled small. "Thank you." She said as she took it. She took a heaping sip of the fiery hot liquid and sighed while looking at the work she had accomplished thus far.

"I may have to go back in tonight." She said simply, her eyes still locked on her pile of dirt. "They are short staffed again."

He clenched his teeth, but took a deep quiet breath. "Ok." He said simply.

Her head turned so that she could look at him, a small sympathetic smile attempting to smooth out the worried lines in his brow. "They need all the help they can get and I need to help."

"Don't gotta explain it to me, Kitten. I know what I signed up for." He reassured her.

She nodded appreciatively.

"Just don't shoulder it alone." He clarified.

Her smile faded as she drank down the last of the contents in her mug. "I won't have to as long as you're still here when I get home."

"I ain't going anywhere." He reached his hand out to brush a few rogue strands of hair from her sweaty face. She handed him her cup and reached down for her rake. "Don't forget, Ruka, even in all this death, the world keeps growing."

"I know. There is a light there. We just have to reach it." She said before digging her rake into the soil.

He nodded before walking back towards the house, empty cup in hand. It was going to be a long few months. But they'd keep going; her garden would keep growing.


	13. The Race

_/* Hi all! This was requested a while back for an instance where Haruka has to deal with jelly feelings for a change. Warnings: graphic lemony content at the end so if that's not your thing, pls skip this one. Also, I should be posting Chapter 2 of Eyes of a Ghost by this weekend. Thanks again for reading and hope you enjoy! */_

* * *

The Race

"You've never been to any of his races?" The red-haired girl asked as she slipped on her shoes at the door.

"No. He hasn't been racing for very long and I've had to work…" Haruka answered sheepishly.

"Does it make you nervous?" While Orihime Inoue often showed her naive side, there was also an intuitive one that she kept well under the surface. Haruka half wondered if she did it on purpose.

"I guess a little. I've seen quite a few injury results from motorcycles. They weren't pretty." She answered as she finished slipping her shoes on and grabbing her purse. She followed Orihime out the front door, stopping only to lock it before heading to the car.

"I don't blame you. I would be too. But this should be a good surprise at least! You'll be showing your support." Orihime replied cheerfully. "And it can't be any worse than his other hobbies."

Haruka laughed. "True. But at least when he's fighting, he's not in a gigai…"

"Sado-kun races too, right? I bet it's safe enough if Sado-kun is doing it."

Soon the two women were driving towards the race track in the isolated region outside Karukara town. The deafening sound of revving engines filled the air as Haruka parked her car and the two walked towards the entrance.

"That's a long line to get in." Orihime observed woefully.

"Oi, Inoue-san, Akiyama-san!" A familiar male voice called out to them from a side entrance.

"Sado-kun!" Orihime cheered.

The two walked over to where the towering man stood. "Are you here to watch the race?" He asked.

"Yea, but I guess we weren't expecting such a huge line to get in. Grimmjow never told me how popular it was." Haruka mentioned as she peeked back at the line that continued to grow.

"Come this way with me. You can watch from the sidelines." He offered.

"Wow! Really? Thank you, Sado-kun!" Orihime replied, shocked.

"Thank you so much!" Haruka agreed.

The two followed Sado through the racer entrance. After a long and windy labyrinth, they arrived at the race track. The sound of super sport motorcycle engines and cheering filled the stadium around them as they entered the main area. Sado led them to the sidelines where crew stations were standing. "Look, Haruka-chan! It's Grimmjow-san." Orihime said enthusiastically as she pointed to a sapphire blue bike with white accents. His matching full-face helmet was tucked under his arm as he stood speaking to someone unfamiliar to her.

"Who is she?" Haruka asked as she observed the woman speaking to Grimmjow. She wore tight gear that clung to her curves, decorated in red and white accents. She had cute blonde hair that was cut fairly short. Her eyes were a gorgeous sea green that nearly sparkled in the sun. She was tall, with perfectly toned muscles and a presence that drew the eyes of everyone in the stadium. Even Haruka was awestruck.

"That's Aoi. She's the top female racer." Sado explained.

"I see." Haruka hummed, her body becoming rigid.

"Wow! She's beautiful! Does she race here often?" Orihime asked while peering over Haruka's shoulders.

"Yea. She practices a lot with the other racers." Sado answered.

"With Grimmjow too?" Haruka couldn't help herself. The immediate unease she felt around this woman startled her. She didn't get jealous too often, but that was usually easy considering Grimmjow put irrational fear into any human he ever looked at, women included. The longer he lived here, however, the more at ease he was becoming with others and the less afraid of him they were.

"Yea, they race every week almost." Sado confirmed and Haruka's stomach twisted. How much time was he spending with this chick? She wanted Grimmjow to have his hobbies, but when he was spending those hobbies with another woman…

Suddenly, the racers were revving their engines and the woman was running back to her bike. "Here we go." Sado mentioned as he crossed his arms, his eyes trained on the bikes before him. The racers had pulled their helmets over their faces and fastened the straps. They watched as the light blinked red, then orange, and finally on green, they all took off at incredible speeds. "Yea! Go Grimmjow-san!" Orihime shouted right in Haruka's ear.

"Orihime-chan!" Haruka hissed.

"Sorry, Haruka-chan. I just get so excited for these sorts of things." She admitted while blushing.

Haruka nodded in understanding and wished she could feel the same way, but something in her gut was souring her mood. It was an unease…an anxiety that was taking hold and she knew she had to try and overcome it. She would not be the unreasonable jealous girlfriend that surprises her boyfriend and catches him in a conversation with a beautiful, intelligent, amazing woman! "It won't happen." She scolded herself.

"Look, here they come!" Orihime pointed to the oncoming deafening noise headed their way. The racers had made it around the first lap. "Look, Haruka-chan! Grimmjow-san's in first place!"

Haruka shook herself free of the iron grip of jealousy to watch as her ex-Espada boyfriend came flying around the track. Right behind him was the woman in red and another racer who was wearing green. "Come on, Grimmjow! Don't let them pass you!" Haruka shouted, the excitement suddenly taking hold of her.

The race continued like this. Grimmjow and the two others were at the head of the pack, managing to pull ahead. He and Aoi fought back and forth for the lead. Poor Sado stood between two cheering women who had clung to either one of his arms while jumping up and down. "Is this really necessary?" He asked, but was ignored.

"Go, Grimmjow!" Haruka cheered enthusiastically from the sidelines as he passed, effectively taking the lead.

The flag then waved erratically, signaling the final lap. "Oh my… is he going to win?" Orihime asked while gripping Sado's arm tightly.

"He has to." Haruka said nervously as she gripped Sado's other arm.

Seconds felt like hours as they watched the top three riders come around the final lap. Grimmjow and red were neck and neck. The stadium was erupting in shouts from onlookers. "Go, go, go…" Haruka whispered, her nails digging in. Sado's brow twitched as the two women practically mutilated his arms.

Then the sport bikes came to the final stretch, and Grimmjow's blazing sapphire barely outpaced the ruby red of his competitor. "Yes!" Orihime and Haruka shouted together as they jumped into the air and released a relieved-looking Sado.

The two women laughed as all the racers went around one final time slowly, pumping victorious fists in the air and welcoming the celebration cheers. When his bike finally came to a stop in his designated pit, he pulled the helmet from his head and jumped off. He wore a contagious ecstatic grin that had Haruka smiling ear to ear. His competitor pulled up to her pit stop and pulled her helmet free. Grimmjow taunted her playfully, pointing a finger at her and laughing. She smirked, before playfully mocking him back.

Haruka's joy for him was muted up until his eyes found hers. His expression changed to almost fiery. He jogged to the sidelines to where Haruka was standing and immediately wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her into a deep kiss in front of the entire stadium. Her cheeks flushed red, but all her anxiety melted.

"When did you get here?" He purred after their kiss broke.

"Right before the race started." She replied softly. "I guess you are as good as you claim to be."

His grin widened. "You shouldn't doubt me, Kitten." His voice was low and heady. The mix of pure adrenaline from racing and winning mixed with seeing his woman had him excited in more ways than one.

She chuckled alluringly, "no I shouldn't."

"Congratulations, Grimmjow-san!" Orihime cheered as she interrupted the two.

"Thanks." Grimmjow accepted half-heartedly. His attention was still on Haruka.

"I'm glad you came." He said as he released her finally.

"I know how much you enjoy racing and I'm always working... I wanted to see it." She said.

"Hoy! Grimmjow!" A warm yet powerful voice called. Aoi was approaching, waving enthusiastically before slapping her hand into his back. "Awesome race. I almost had you there." She smiled brightly.

"You were close, Red; sorry to say you never had a chance though." He smirked.

"So is this the famous Haruka Akiyama I hear all about?" Her lovely gaze shifted to Haruka.

Haruka looked surprised. "You know of me?"

"Of course I know of you. You're all he talks about." The blonde laughed while elbowing her displeased friend.

"I see. I'm sorry to say that I've never heard of you." Haruka responded, shooting a questioning glare at Grimmjow.

The woman laughed, clearly enjoying the couple's discomfort. "I'm not surprised. Most men here don't like mentioning me to their significant others." She responded with a cocky grin. "I'll leave you two be - just wanted to say Congrats. It was nice meeting you, Akiyama-san."

"Nice to meet you too." Haruka replied with little effort as Aoi walked away towards her fanbase. Grimmjow returned Haruka a shrug before heading back to his own bike.

"Grimmjow!" Haruka attempted to stop him, but he was already swarmed by others.

After almost an hour of Grimmjow's ego being stroked by numerous fans, receiving his trophy, and ordering the pit crew around, Grimmjow finally rejoined the three standing by on the sidelines.

"I didn't realize how popular it was." Haruka mentioned as he threw his jacket over his shoulder and carried his helmet by the straps.

"Yea, we pull a decent crowd. I get some chump change for it too." He flashed a few bills before stuffing them in his pockets.

"Explains a lot." Haruka muttered.

"What? You said you had no problem with it." Grimmjow accused, his animalistic hearing picking up her line.

"I don't have a problem with it." Haruka snapped back.

Sado and Orihime fell back a bit as the obvious tension was making this uncomfortable. "Hey, Haruka-chan, Sado-kun said he can take me home. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" Orihime called out.

"Huh, are you sure?"

"Yes, very sure!" Orihime nodded frantically while pushing Sado towards the exit.

"So why the attitude?" Grimmjow cut in, gaining her attention once more.

"I don't have an attitude." She defended as she followed him into the now emptied locker area. The rest of the racers had long since packed up and gone home in defeat.

Grimmjow clenched his jaw. "She's just a friend, Ruka."

Haruka flinched. "I don't have a problem with Aoi. I was just surprised to see you so friendly with someone you never told me about."

Grimmjow pulled some clothes from a nearby locker and slammed it shut. "Ain't that much different than you hanging out with Koji all the damn time."

"I, at least, tell you about that." Haruka argued. She watched him as he pulled his racing clothes free from sweaty skin. His muscles, finely formed underneath his skin, moved almost alluringly. She wasn't sure why she was paying so close attention when she'd seen him undress a thousand times before…

"You tell me when it's convenient for you and when you don't want to feel guilty. The way I see it, if you can have guy friends, then I can have girl friends. What's the difference?"

"I never said you couldn't have friends that are girls. But when you keep it a secret..."

"It wasn't no secret." He seethed, locks of blue falling into his gaze as his face nearly touched hers. Heat radiated off of him nearly making her sweat. An erratic impulse gnarled in her gut and a sudden and extreme urge to claim his mouth with hers. She wanted to claim all of him as hers and only hers. "What's the matter, Kitten? Afraid she's gunna sneak back here one day, bend her pretty ass over the bench, and ask me to fuck the shit out of her?" He taunted on a harsh, low tone.

Haruka grimaced at first, but then it morphed into a full on snarl as the thought of that woman even touching him enraged her. It made her snap.

Without another hesitation she instantly closed the gap between them, pressing her lips to his and catching him completely off guard. Her hands found clumps of hair to cling to so that he could not leave her assaulting tongue. It pushed forward, sliding into his mouth and battling his. His nostrils flared as his hands found her hips. A guttural noise came from the back of his throat as she pushed her full weight against him, actually making him stumble back against the lockers.

His pants were tight almost immediately. The savage reaction from his timid little kitten had his entire body tingling. When her grasping fingers had enough ripping at his hair, they moved to his shoulders, nails digging into flesh. He growled while pulling free from her lips. "That piss you off?" Her purred.

"No one is ever going to touch you but me." She declared, her eyes like fire.

Grimmjow smirked, enjoying this side of her that he rarely got to see. "Prove it." He egged her on.

Her glare was wicked, borderline angry. She took a step back from him before pulling her t-shirt over her head, revealing her breasts constrained behind a lacy white bra. Her jeans went next, revealing a matching lacy white thong with a thicker strap to show off the intricate lace pattern. She allowed him just enough time to slide his icy blue gaze up and down once before she pounced again. Her mouth went right to his neck, tongue lathering over a soft spot at the nape. Her fingers travelled, sliding along the taut muscle of his chest and stomach before running along the waistline of his pants. She made quick work of them, pushing them down to his ankles and freeing his constrained manhood in the process.

Her teeth grazed the skin of his shoulder, nipping the most delicate spots. He chuckled low, "you keep teasing me like that, you ain't proving nothing." A tiny smirk upticked the corner of her mouth just before she sank her teeth into the fleshy part of his shoulder. He growled while gripping her hair. She simply returned the chuckle, her eyes flicking up to meet his defiantly. It made him pause.

"Why not give me a chance, Grimmjow-sama, to finish the job." Her tongue slid along the puncture mark on his shoulder. He released her hair shortly after, allowing her free roam once more.

His eyes followed her as she kissed a trail down his chest, across his abs, and finally to the aching heat at the apex of his thighs. She glanced up at him, her look making him actually twitch. Her hands slid along his thighs as she remained on her knees still holding his gaze. His mouth went dry as he felt her fingers inch closer to his desire. Just as he felt her nails graze the base of his cock did her tongue slide along the head. His eyes instantly shut as a moan broke from the back of his throat. She smiled as he tilted his head back and enjoyed the sensation of her wet mouth encompassing him. She let her tongue slide along the base as she slid each inch slowly to the back of her throat. Her hand wrapped around the seething heat, allowing her to direct it exactly how she wanted it.

His groans only encouraged her, filling the locker room and boosting her confidence. Her fingers squeezed around the shaft, moving in timing with her mouth. She quickened her pace, but still slow enough to ensure he felt every sensation of her tongue moving along the velvety skin. Her free hand massaged his balls, eliciting growls and causing his fists to clench. He couldn't help himself. Several times his hands fisted into her hair, wanting to direct the pace, but everytime she would pull away with a pop and glare at him. She was going to be in control of this. She was going to have him exactly how she wanted him. And he indulged her.

His eyes would travel down at her, eager to watch, but everytime feeling the incredible urge to lose it when he saw her. She was damn sexy; the way the muscles in her calves flexed in her squatted position, her beautiful breasts bouncing behind the constraining fabric each time her head bobbed on his dick, the curvature of her ass thrusting back for his viewing pleasure… "Kitten, you keep this up I'm not going to be able to hold back much longer." He warned and she grinned.

She stood up, her eyes running over his toned frame. His breathing was slightly labored from attempting to hold back. Tiny beads of sweat trickled down his forehead, matting his hair to his skin. "Why don't you take a break and have a seat then?" She offered as her hand motioned to the bench behind her.

He did as she suggested, sitting on the wooden bench, but taking a break was the last thing on her mind. As soon as his ass hit the seat, she was on him. Her hand pushed into his shoulder, straightening him as her leg straddled over his. She slipped the fabric of her thong over just enough to allow his throbbing member entry. "Damn, Kitten." He groaned as he felt her slick heat slide over the head of his cock. She allowed her knees to support her, pressing them into the bench as she slowly lowered onto his lap. His hands settled on her hips as hers wrapped around his shoulders. "You are so fucking wet." He groaned.

She smirked, "and you're so fucking hard." She whispered teasingly in his ear. She lifted herself up, allowing him to slide out of her before she slammed herself back down onto his seething heat. He grunted, his fingers tightening their hold at almost bruising strength. The friction was delicious pleasure for her as well. She was now unconsciously picking up the pace, wanting to feel him sliding in and out of her. Her moans were driving him mad. His hands found the strap of her bra and started tugging desperately. Her tits bounced in his face, just dying to be let out. "Who's the only one who's going to fuck you like this?" She asked.

He grunted at her desire-filled question. "You." He replied as he finally removed the fabric barrier. His mouth immediately found a hardened bud to suckle and tease.

"Ah, yes." She moaned as he lavished her breasts.

"Fuck, slow down, Kitten." He ordered as he held her hips in place. She chuckled teasingly as he panted.

"Reaching your limit already, babe?" She kissed his lips as she slowly rocked her hips, making sure he felt every line of muscle inside her.

"Oh you fucking wench…" He attempted to hold her down, but her slow thrusts and massaging of her inner muscles on his aching cock were overwhelming.

"Who's the only wench that's going to touch you like this?" Her eyes looked deadly as she smiled wickedly at him.

"Only you, Ruka. Now fuck me, baby. Take what you want from me." He commanded and she obliged. He released her hips and her pace immediately quickened again. She could feel him reaching the edge, the sweat on his forehead dripping as he dropped it to her shoulder. He mumbled curses as he clung to her lithe frame. "You own me, baby."

His words formed a crack in her dam. Between his husky declarations, the friction between their hips, and his defeated form clinging to her, she exploded. Her orgasm crashed over her, tightening every muscle in her body and clenching him tightly. He followed immediately, their moans drowning each other out as they fell against one another.

He held her against his chest for several minutes following. Eventually she gained enough feeling back in her legs to move. She kissed his ear before whispering, "don't forget - you're mine."

She got up from his lap and shot him one last meaningful look before gathering her clothes.

"Ain't no way I'm forgetting that."


	14. First Comes Love, Then Comes Baby?

_/*Hi all! A quick story filler one shot for you! This is short and sweet, but I should have the next chapter out for Eyes of a Ghost very soon. Thanks for reading! Just a quick note: I wrote this under the assumption Karukara Town is very traditional as I kind of felt it was one of the only motives that really worked for Grimmjow (imo). */_

* * *

First Comes Love, then Comes Baby?

"So let me get this straight…" The orange-haired man said with some amusement, "you're going to let him knock you up and not get married?"

"Yes." Haruka said seriously.

"Why?"

"Because marriage is only a thing for humans and the high class in the Seireitei." She replied.

"Ok first, I don't think that's true. Second, you two are practically human now, so it's going to be looked down upon when you are walking around with a kid and no ring on the finger."

"I don't really care what the rest of human society thinks of us." Haruka pouted.

"Well you might not, but what about your future kid? He or she is the one that's going to get all the jeers about having unwed parents." He continued to argue.

Haruka glared at him. "Are humans that strict about their traditions?" A little bit of worry had formed on her voice.

"I guess it depends on where you live, but it's pretty strict around here." He said idly.

"Well what are you suggesting, Ichigo? Propose to Grimmjow? That's even less traditional." She scoffed.

"But not unheard of."

"Let me guess: you already had this discussion with him."

Ichigo frowned.

"Didn't go the way you wanted it, did it?" She smiled victoriously.

"Not much does with him, yet at least I put the idea in his head. And now I also put it in yours." He grinned as he got up from his seat, throwing a few bills on the table to pay for their lunch. "Good luck with the whole baby making thing."

"Yea, you too." She smiled sarcastically as he waved absentmindedly in her direction. "He's such an ass."

Haruka stood up and massaged her temples briefly before beginning to make the walk back to her car. One of the disadvantages to living on the outskirts of town was having to drive everywhere, but at least it gave her a few moments alone to just think.

"Marriage. Ha. Could anyone really imagine that man standing at an altar in a tuxedo spitting out vows of love and devotion?" Haruka laughed to herself coldly. The thought triggered a chain of thoughts that instantly soured her mood. "I guess it would be a solidifying vow…"

Her face twisted disdainfully, "listen to yourself, Haruka! It's Grimmjow you're talking about! Like he would follow any traditional human vow as his own!"

The remainder of her drive continued much the same with her conversing with herself and doubting many decisions she had made. When she finally pulled up the driveway and made her way inside the house, she had successfully ruined her mood.

He was waiting for her in the main entryway. He looked tense, his hands wrist deep in his pockets. It startled her when she first saw him standing there as she was not expecting it. "Hey." She said, attempting to find a greeting smile behind her foul mood.

"Yo." He mentioned, his unease only increasing.

"Why are you standing here?" She nearly laughed as it all seemed very strange.

"I, uh, wanted to catch you right away while I was thinking about it…" He began but then paused.

"Thinking about what?" She enclosed the gap, her arm wrapping around his midsection before catching his surprised expression with her lips.

It happened in an instant. He had pulled his hand from his pocket and lifted it in front of her. A small round object with a glint that caught her eye was firmly stuck between his thumb and pointer finger. Her brow scrunched with confusion at first, but then realization shocked her.

"Are you-?" She began.

"You know I ain't good at this shit," he started, "but Kurosaki made some good points despite being a fucking idiot." He spat out and she had to hold back her smirk.

"Yea, he had a few good points." She agreed.

"We don't have to do anything now, but apparently this works like a promise. I'm promising you that one day I'll make it official to all three fucking worlds that you're mine… and that I'm yours."

She smiled. "You're supposed to kneel and say that." She teased. She hadn't actually expected the man to kneel. She knew him better than that.

Her absolute shock when he begrudgingly got to the floor on one knee and held the ring out to her told her more about his devotion than anything else. "Get up, of course I'll fucking marry you." She practically laughed as she took the ring from him.

"Just to be clear, I don't need any human's acknowledgement that we're in this for the long haul." He corrected. "This is just so our kid don't get shit for our image."

Haruka caressed his shoulder reassuringly. "I know, babe. And for what it's worth, I'm glad you're thinking beyond your own dealings with the world. You'll be a good dad."

"Yea, well if the kid ends up with your personality, they're going to need all the help they can get."

"Hey, what is that supposed to mean!?" She scolded before slapping his arm.

He chuckled. "Nothing, beautiful. You're perfect."

"That sounded sarcastic."

"Nah.." He mentioned playfully as he started moving inside the house.

She followed, amusement lighting her features and sheer joy filling her heart. "I can't believe you actually listened to Ichigo."

"I didn't fucking listen to Kurosaki. I made my own decision." He seethed.

Haruka's laughter filled the home. "Of course, babe."


End file.
